The Tails and Trials Of Love
by Alisa Leciane
Summary: Mobius. A land where the restrictive religion of Solarity abounds, and where magic is wielded by unexpected people, and love is in the most unexpected of places. Can this love survive all these trials? Rated M for: Homosexuality (i.e SonTails) , religion(use commonsense and you'll know which one) and mature themes. Contains fancharacters (2). AU(definitely).
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Hi guys, I'm baaaack! I lied again about publishing this in November! Enjoy this sinful treat, and I present you with The Tails and Trials of Love! Favourites and Follows much appreciated! This will contain many characters and homosexual pairings, including fancharacters (i.e Mirius which is supposed to be a vessel for me!) and the plotline will eventually trail the edges of suicide and self-harm(cos I'm strange like that). Mainly will revolve around SonicxTails (cutest couple) and also MiriusxSilver. I will do my best to develop Mirius so you don't hate him for being super vague and yeah I do have a soft spot for Robotnik! You'll see that in a while XD Please review so I can improve my writing if you think I just plain suck(but please be nice about it). I appreciate all those who followed and favourited "Tails of Love", and I promise not to disappoint! Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic and Co., SEGA does, but i own Mirius and Percival. However, anyone can use them, just ask first(I'll say yes, but mutual consent is a courtesy). I will also provide a heads-up if a lemon is present! Enjoy!

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~Chapter 1~

Mobius. A place where global warming was not a problem, due to the overabundance of trees, neither was war seeing how the only real antagonist, Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, had reformed and had started on a self-imposed community work order(CWO) by building a theme park with the obnoxious name of "Dr. Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park", as well as finally getting his teaching degree. In short, Mobius was Paradise. Well, at certain times. Now was not one of those. It was a horrid stormy day, the kind that caused trees to bend knee to the ground, people to be swept off their feet and buildings to groan and sway as if they had a drink too many. Today was basically the polar opposite of hell. Yet, amidst the sweeping currents of wind, a small yellow biplane flew. Buffeted by the winds, the pilot had to be skilled and focused. He was the former, but not the latter.

~Tails' POV~

The rain lashed down on Tails' face, stinging his skin, as he piloted the Tornado about a volcano in the vicinity of his home village. From his current position, he could see the Mobian High School of the Sciences and Arts (MHSSA), where he studied, with its large brass bell in its receptacle, and he could see plumes of steam from where the rain entered the cone of the volcano near Bygone Island, where he lived. On any other day, he might have deemed the scenery beautiful, in the way a bolt of lightning is beautiful; terrible and yet magnificent. However, he was in turmoil within, with its ferocity rivaling that of the storm. Inside him, a war was being waged between his logical mind and his emotional heart; a savage, relentless duel of words, emotions, opinions and memories.

"It is wrong and disgusting!" His mind would cry.

"Nonsense! You love him, go tell him that!' His heart would answer.

"What if he hates me?' His mind would shoot back.

"At least you would have tried" His heart would riposte.

"Your religion of Solarity will never accept that! You will burn in the Abyss forever with Iblis and sinners!" His mind exploded at him.

"Fuck that!" His heart screamed, certain in its conviction, that love could transcend all, even religion.

He sighed. He could not deny it. Although it was abnormal, unnatural, and disgusting, he could not help it. Deep within, he knew. He loved Sonic. Not as a brother, but as a lover.

He did not know when his friendship with Sonic had transitioned to love, but he knew with certainty that it had. A sob built in his throat and he scrubbed as his eyes to clear them, dislodging a gallon of water that had collected in his fur onto his face, blinding him further. When his eyes finally cleared, he saw a bolt of lightning flare from the heavens, before streaking down to strike the engine of the Tornado. The engine exploded, flinging him away from the wreckage, filling his nose with the stench of diesel and concussing him into senselessness. The last he saw before slipping into the dark embrace of unconsciousness was the sight of his plane plummeting to the village below.

~Sonic's POV~

The crash of lightning startled him awake. That, and the strange sound of an… explosion? He was about the slide back into the comforting arms of sleep again when he saw the flaming wreckage of the Tornado, and, more importantly, a yellow fox with two tails descending at terminal velocity. All thoughts of sleep fled his mind as his eyes popped open, and he sped off to save his best friend.

As the adrenaline rush faded, he came to the conclusion that lightning must have struck the Tornado, and it exploded. He snapped out of his thoughts when he realized Tails was mere metres from the ground. He put on more speed and launched himself into the air, aiming himself at Tails. With a dash worthy of his title, the "Blue Blur", he managed to catch him, but crashed into the ground with Tails under him, fracturing several of Tails' delicate ribs. He slapped Tails across the face a few times to attempt to revive him, but failed. "No….nonononononono… NO!" His anxiety rose as he called Tails' name repeatedly to no avail. He scooped Tails into his arms and raced to the hospital, with the words whispered repeatedly, "Don't die Tails, don't die now buddy".

With fifteen minutes of non-stop running, only slowing to adjust Tails so he wouldn't fall off, he finally reached the Mobian General Hospital, where he knew his friend Blaze worked at. He smashed through the swinging doors with his unparalleled speed, screaming blue murder as he screeched to a halt.

"I NEED A FUCKING DOCTOR! MY FRIEND IS IN AN EMERGENCY CONDITION! SOLARIS-FUCKING DAMNIT!" He cast rapidly from side to side, in an effort to find someone to help him. Just then, an anthropomorphic cat stepped forward. "This way, quick." She ushered him, while pulling out her pager. "Head Nurse to Blaze. Come down to Emergency immediately." She spoke with a tone that bore no insubordination, that was the epitome of the virtue of not suffering fools gladly. All this, and yet at the same time already questioning Sonic about Tails' particulars.

"Hmm… An explosion you say? Name of Miles 'Tails' Prower? Alright, you fill in the rest." And with that, she thrust the clipboard into his hands. Sonic's hand snaked across the paper without a pause; so well did he know his friend. He handed it to the Head Nurse, and she stuck it into the receptacle that was at the foot of a hospital gurney, before lifting Tails up onto it with a gentleness which belied her demeanor.

"Hmm… He is still clothed… That could pose a slight problem."

"Huh? What d'you mean?"

Without a reply, the Head Nurse pulled off his aviator's goggles, and his shirt in one swipe, dumping them into Sonic's hands. "Whaa…" was all he could go before she pulled off his remaining clothes, underwear and all, in another swipe, and dumped them, again, into Sonic's hands. Sonic turned away from the sight of his best friend naked, blushing furiously. The Head Nurse didn't give him much time to do so, her voice breaking through his thoughts again. "His clothes are pretty charred, so I don't think they would have much value being worn again, so a bin is here." She gestured at a nearby trashcan. "I'll be wheeling him in shortly, so you can sit here." He could barely keep up, so preoccupied was he with Tails. He ran his hand across his soft golden fur, wondering if the next time it came out, it would still be warm to the touch. Numbly, he slumped onto a cold plastic bench nearby, dark thoughts plaguing him. No, he would do what he did best: be on his feet. He straightened, and began to walk up and down the same corridor, lost in his thoughts.

~Blaze's POV~

Blaze was resting in the nurse's lounge, nursing a hot cup of tea, exhausted from her rounds. She sighed as she thought of all the patients she would have to attend to in about fifteen minutes. _I've got to give who what again?_ She thought as she tried to remember. She sighed again, defeated by the simple task of trying to remember. She was a part-time nurse at Mobius General Hospital, yet she felt that she had a larger amount of responsibilities than most of the full time staff there. The head nurse had taken a dislike to Blaze almost immediately, and now she found herself swamped with work. She had three times as many patients under her care than any other part-time staff here, and there was not much she could do about it. _Curse her!_ Blaze snarled in her mind. This was the only line of work she could find that she enjoyed doing, and she also needed the money to pay for her university fees. She stretched back, enjoying the relaxing sensation of stretching. Her cup in one hand, she felt for the biscuit tin with the other. Her hand found the tin, but before she could remove the tin from its cabinet, the sudden buzz of her pager jolted her, and she dropped her cup. She swore violently under her breath as she fished out her pager to answer it, and cursed louder when she saw the caller. She pressed the "Answer" button as she scrabbled for some tissues to clean up the fragrant, albeit sticky mess.

"Head Nurse to Blaze. Come down to Emergency immediately." Came the peremptory voice of the head nurse. Blaze pressed the "End" button and flung it violently across the room, shouting "WHY NOT ADD MORE TO MY PLATE, YOU WHOREMONGERING, MOTHERFUCKING BITCH!" she slammed her clenched paw onto a low nearby coffee table, and wisps of smoke rose from her fist. An entering nurse was taken aback at her choice of words, but before any comment could be made, she had stood up, snatched a biscuit out of the tin and stalked out, muttering "If I am going to work overtime, I may as well be fed."

She was fuming all the way from the lounge to Emergency, but as she threw the door open, a flash of yellow fur startled her out of fantasies of what she would do the head nurse, one of which involved sticking her into an anthropomorphic cat sized candle and lighting it, after which she could enjoy her screams. _Surely that isn't Tails?_ She thought as she strode briskly into the Operating Theatre. For all her faults, the head nurse had recognized Blaze's talents at her job, and had accordingly given her the privilege of preparing for operations, and as an assistant in the actual operation. She grabbed the patient's particulars as she ran to the laboratory in which the preparations were made. The name confirmed her worst fears. "Name: Miles 'Tails' Prower. Nature of injury: Explosion/Burns. Treatment: Operation." The sheet of laminated paper stated coldly. A sudden icy flare of determination manifested itself in her, and she whispered to herself, "Then I better do my best to fix him." She busied herself with selecting the required instruments, and threw them into a sink filled with disinfectant. She then gathered them and wiped them with a sterile wipe, before placing all of them into an oven. A ding startled her as she was perusing the patient's particulars again, and she laid the now clean instruments on a sterile piece of paper in a tray on a cart, which she wheeled into the operating theatre.

~Sonic's POV~

He paced up and down outside the operating theatre as his anxiety built within. Eventually, he grew tired and flopped down on a plastic seat beside a coffee dispenser. _Should I call Mirius?_ Mirius was a friend in the Mobian High School of the Sciences and Arts, who was really intelligent. Rumour had it that he could make chemicals with household stuff that could kill people, yet he had done nothing of that sort. Still, he did nothing to dispel those statements, with the deflecting statement "People can believe what they want to believe." Still, he had been a good friend all these years, always open to a long talk if anybody wanted to, playing the role of confidant if called upon, and had an exceedingly acerbic tongue when it came to defending his friends. Yes, he would be the perfect person to call. However, it would be better if everyone were here. He dropped a message into the group that consisted of him, Tails, Amy, Mirius, Shadow, Silver, Blaze, Knuckles and Rogue. Everybody replied that they could come, even Rouge, who usually was busy with what she called "girl stuff". Mirius was the first to arrive, together with Silver, his oldest and best friend. Mirius gasped as he collapsed into a plastic seat, and Sonic wordlessly slid a cup of iced coffee into his hands. He nodded gratefully and finished it in one draught. Silver crashed into the seat next to him, and the first question on his lips was "How is Tails?" Sonic could only reply "He's about to go under." Mirius looked up at him and stated, with conviction, "He'll be fine." Sonic could only nod, and ducked his head to prevent them from seeing the sudden upwelling of tears. "Thanks." He rasped. He could not cry. He would not. _Sonic the Hedgehog does not cry_ , he told himself. Yet his heart rebelled, and he felt like he was being torn apart from inside. " _What would I do if Tails dies?"_ Was the question currently haunting him and spinning around and around inside his mind.

~Blaze's POV~

"Scalpel. Scissors. Clamp." The surgeon's voice was a constant drone as he constantly requested new instruments and skillfully manipulated each one to cut open Tails' body to remove shrapnel, reset his broken ribs and repair his burned skin. The surgeon worked tirelessly, his tools chewing through Tails' delicate skin, his hands fluid as he attended, with great detail, every part of Tails' body. He set Blaze the task of ensuring that after he had cut open Tails and finished what business he had in there, the open flesh would be sutured by her. Her fingers moved in a repetitive blur, attending to where the surgeon had left off. In two and a half hours, they finished up the surgery by spreading a salve across Tails' body and encasing his chest in a cast. He then tasked Blaze with wheeling Tails into Intensive Care as he stepped out to speak with Sonic.

Blaze saw a cobalt figure in the doorway of the theatre as the surgeon stepped out to declare the operation a success. She saw the rest of her friends too: Mirius, Amy, etc. But the joy that usually rose in her when she saw her friends was quashed by an overwhelmingly numbing exhaustion. Her mood was not improved by the sight of the head nurse as she wheeled Tails into a ward, but as she turned to leave, as voice halted her. "Wait!" The voice of the head nurse rang across the room and Blaze turned to confront her. The severe visage of the head nurse remained unchanged as she spoke. "I need to speak to you privately, so would you mind if you followed me?" Blaze resisted the temptation to sigh as she followed the steps of the head nurse.

After about two minutes of trailing the head nurse, she found herself in the head nurse's office. When the door closed, the head nurse's face softened into an uncharacteristic smile. "I am pleased to announce that you have a permanent place here with us, Blaze." Blaze was nonplussed for a second, exhaustion and confusion evident in her face. "I-I don't understand." The head nurse smiled. "You are now a permanent, full time nurse. My distant attitude was a ruse, a test if you will. You have a passion for nursing, and I don't intend to waste that. You will receive the full salary of a nurse, with full benefits. Your work schedule can be altered to suit your studies, which I presume will take place at the Mobian High School of the Sciences and Arts?" Blaze nodded, dumbstruck. "Welcome to nursing, Blaze. Well, as welcome as anyone can be while still performing the same duty for the past six years." Blaze felt a tear pooling at the side of her eye, and she thanked the head nurse with a heartfelt appreciation. _Maybe she isn't so bad after all. Gotta scrap the life-sized candle idea then._ Then a thought struck her. "My friends!" The head nurse gave her one of her rare smiles again and said, "Take the rest of the evening off then, and spend it with your friends. I believe they are still in the ICU. If you hurry, you should be able to catch them." Blaze could not believe her ears. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she exclaimed before sprinting out towards the stairs, taking them two at a time.

~Sonic's POV~

In about half an hour, all his friends had arrived, and some were pacing up and down. Shadow and Silver stood by the window and tried to peer into the theatre while Sonic and Mirius sat on the plastic seats, unmoving. Amy and Rogue were the only ones pacing up and down and generally generating the majority of movement in the group. _I don't think I can cope if Tails died. I really don't think I can._ As if reading his mind, Alisa reached over to grasp his arm. "He _will_ be fine, but you really have to stop worrying so much. I'm here for you. Remember that." She stated with a firmness in her voice, an underlying resolve of steel behind every word. Sonic impulsively reached over to hug him, tears now unrestrained and spilling from behind his eyelids. "What did I do to deserve such friends?" He sobbed into his shoulder. "Thank you so much." He managed to choke out. Suddenly, the buzz of the operating door opening startled him out of the embrace and the flashback he was having, of all the times he had spent with Tails, running through the Green Hills, the Mystic Ruins and fighting Eggman together. He rose and swept the tears out of his eyes, heading for the surgeon to receive the news, be it good or bad.

The surgeon stepped out, his face grey with exhaustion. He gestured at the coffee machine in an unmistakable gesture-pour him coffee. Sonic complied, and the surgeon slumped into a nearby seat. He accepted the proffered cup and drained it, before sighing with appreciation. "He is in a stable, but critical condition. We will keep him here for two weeks for observation." Everybody heaved a visible sigh of relief at his words, with Sonic turning away for a while to surreptitiously wipe his eye. "Can we see him?" Mirius asked, his tone not unlike that of a demand. "The surgeon waved his hand in a vague gesture of "go ahead". They all strode past the partially unconscious surgeon and to Tails' bedside. Sonic arrived first(duh) and thus opened the conversation.\

~Tails' POV~

"How are you feeling? Does it hurt? Where does it hurt? What did they do to your fur? What is on your arm?" The last question in particular made Tails squirm and cover himself with the blanket. "Nothing." The onslaught of questions by Sonic enquiring about him made him feel warm inside, and brought a rosy tint to his muzzle. "Thanks Sonic, but that is way too many questions." He joked, while laughing. He immediately regretted doing so as a sharp pain pierced his sides from the still-broken ribs trying to set. His laughter cut off in a sudden gasp and hiss of pain. Sonic paused in his rambling to see Tails with tears in his eyes from the stabbing pain. "Are you REALLY alright?" "Yes, I am. I'm just making these noises because my body is delighted to be in such agony". _Solaris, Sonic can be dense at times._ Yet the close proximity of Sonic bending over his bed made another part of his body infuse with blood as well. He desperately tried to stem the onrushing of blood to his "lower regions". His body refused to comply, and with Sonic touching his face, it was even harder. (A/N Pun. Ha ha). Nevertheless, his desperate attempt succeeded, and all he saw was a slight hump in the lumpy sheets. He hoped Sonic hadn't realized anything. Seeing how he was fussing over Tails, it was unlikely that he would notice Eggman entering the room naked. (A/N Oh yuck.) He was in the company of his friends for half an hour before the nurse shooed them out, stating "Visiting a critical patient may only take place for twenty minutes." Tails bid them farewell and promptly fell asleep, his mouth in a cute 'o' as he snored lightly.

~Sonic's POV~

As they departed the ward, they could see a flustered and breathless Blaze dashing towards them. Silver stepped in front and caught Blaze as she almost hurtled past them. The impact almost knocked both of them over and he had to use his powers to avert a catastrophe. "I got a promotion! YAY!" Blaze was dancing around like a fourteen-year old schoolgirl. "Ohkay, can it wait until we get in the car?" Silver asked. The car was Mirius's as he was the only one capable or inclined to drive. Meanwhile, Shadow stepped past them as he pulled out his bike keys. He had driven here on his fancy black motorbike, which was incomprehensibly, extravagantly expensive, but then again, he lived in a mansion opposite Tails' parents, Amadeus and Rosemary Prower, a teacher at MHSSA and a model cum part-time writer respectively. "Goodbye, and goodnight to all of you." Shadow bid them as he pulled away in a screech and leaving the stench of burning rubber.

The whole group piled into the car as Mirius started up the engine, and pulled out of the parking lot. Blaze exploded in joy as soon as the car started moving. "I got promoted, I got promoted, kiss my ass all you interns." Blaze trilled in a singsong voice. "And all you jobless pathetic slobs." Blaze poked Silver in the face as she continued. Sonic sighed and covered his ears as Mirius fumed in the front and finally snapped, shouting "Shut up!" Blaze continued in her annoying voice, "At least I have a full-time job, it pays the bills." To which Mirius retorted, "Oh yeah? I've got a scholarship that _more_ than pays the bills, allows me to buy whatever I want within reason, and extra to save up. What does your job have going for you?" "Shaddup." Was the only noise heard from the backseat as Blaze was silenced. Sonic broke the awkward silence. "Have you all finished your holiday homework? I still have some left. By that I mean a thirty-four centimetre stack." Mirius rolled his eyes as he chided Sonic. "Surely I have reminded you _countless_ times to complete your work early? Must I remind you oh-so-many times?" Sonic rolled his eyes but as Mirius took his eyes off the road to lecture Sonic, he failed to notice the speeding truck laden with much construction material hurtling to them. "MIRIUS! WATCH OUT!" Mirius turned to see the truck, too slow to do anything.

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Review please if you thought I sucked, and favourite if you liked it! Please? (Big eyes)


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Hey guys, I'm back after GCE O Levels! Yay! To celebrate, I wrote this next installment! This story will feature Celeste (cos she asked me to put this part in). This just means that im basing a character in the story off a person in real life who is pretty close to the character! We see Percival in this one! Please Read and Review, I really appreciated the people(person actually) who did, and the people who didn't, guilt will gnaw at your soul till you do! If you like where the story is going, a fav is nice too! All the Characters in this belong to SEGA and I only own Mirius and Percival, as well as this storyline! Sorry Tails, you gotta sit this one out, you're in the hospital XD

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~Chapter 2~ "Light"? Or "Darkness?"

~Mirius' POV~

He turned his head, at Sonic's cry, to see a black truck, laden with massive slabs of concrete. At that moment, he felt time slow, as he faced Death, barrelling down upon him, with every intent to crush him, to smother him and extinguish the spark of life within him. There was something insanely thrilling, just watching events unfold, even as the events could be the means of his death. Mirius could make out more details as the truck sped ever closer; the glossy black sheen, like that of a carapace of an insect. The overall image was a sinister, black killing machine. Yet, as he watched, Mirius heard a terrified yell from the back, which snapped him out of his mind-wrenching reverie. It was Silver, and he was unsuccessfully trying to shove the truck out of the way with his telekinesis, yet pathetically failing in the way a fly tries to swat aside an elephant.

"For crying out loud Mirius-do something! _Anything!_ Oh for Solaris's sake…. _Mirius! DO SOMETHING!"_

From the strain in his voice, Mirius knew that Silver was getting tired, from all the telekinetic effort. Blaze and Amy were shrieking, and Sonic was panicking and hyperventilating. He twisted at the wheel, trying to manoeuvre his vehicle out of the way, flattening the accelerator. There was no off-road he could follow; it was a perfectly straight road for about half a kilometre, with buildings on every side. In his rear-view mirror, he could see Amy praying desperately, hands clutching at the silver flame-shaped sigil she wore around her neck, lips moving in unceasing prayer to Solaris. He could catch snippets of it, and noticed that Silver had abandoned the telekinetic effort, now rubbing his temples.

"I can't stop it; it's no use!" Silver cried in frustration. "Solarisfuckingdamnit then….. I'm gonna have to gas this thing. Miles, please tell me you did a good job…or we're fucked. Violently." Mirius muttered. Sonic blinked in confusion. "Wha…" Which was as far as he got before Mirius flipped a catch, exposing a switch on the dashboard. And, as soon as he flicked it, all hell broke loose.

An ominous rumbling emerged from the overworked engine in the front, before amplifying into a throaty roar. Flares of ionising carbon shot out of the exhaust, flaring brilliant orange. The speedometer crept up the digits, agonisingly slowly. _150…...151…152._ Mirius glanced at the rear-view mirror. They were pulling away! Sonic turned around, and saw the truck grow slightly more distant, and screamed with delight. "We're getting away!"

Which is not something to say, when one is not absolutely sure of the future.

A figure in a black robe, complete with a black hood, stuck his head out of the truck cab. Mirius groaned. "Way to go, Sonic. You just had to say that." The black-robed figure was clutching something in his hand, or so Mirius thought when he glanced at the rear-view mirror. Yet he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, as he realised that was not so simple.

He sensed something, _something_ , gathering near the black-garbed weirdo. Something in the universe, which was a fundamental part of it, that was intangible and tangible at the same time, that touched him and everyone at the same time, flowing through everything and everywhere. Yet apparently, only he felt it, no one else having noticed that feeling. And as the faceless figure spoke words he could not hear, he could feel the strange forces reshaping themselves into the person's desires, moulded by his(her?) will. Mirius tensed as he felt a finality to the shaping, the refinement complete. Yet he could not even imagine what it had become, all that strange power shaped into…into _something._ Then, a word to describe it found its way into his mind. Unbidden, it came. _Lightning._ He gasped. _Lightning._ A wave in front of his face startled him out of his reverie. In his shock, he had spoken aloud. "What did ya say?" He looked up to see Sonic, with confusion written all over his face. "He…She…It… is summoning lightning!" Sonic looked even more confused. "How'd you know?" Mirius pulled on the wheel, trying to evade whatever would come. "I just do!" His suspicions were confirmed three seconds later when, with a loud _crack-hiss,_ a streak of blindingly white light shot over the roof, arcing to hit the overheating engine. "Ohhh…sh-" Mirius and Sonic chorused before there was an explosive sound as the engine deflagrated, flames dancing across the windscreen, the stink of ozone filling the car.

Mirius was considering screaming in an extremely undignified manner, Solaris-be-damned whoever saw or heard, when a flickering spark caught his eye. Silvery and solitary, the spark danced before his eyes, mesmerizing it. Again, he felt the unknown forces being drawn upon and shaped again, but he sensed a kinder presence behind it, with warmth and reassurance, much unlike the cold biting aura the black-garbed figure had. The spark flared brighter, and several more motes of light blazed into existence, swirling around the car, even as it was hurtling down the street, flames spinning off the metal body. Suddenly, a sharp jolt of the car hitting the kerb as the sparks obscured Mirius' view slammed everyone forward, concussing everyone. Even as he lost consciousness, he felt a sharp tugging sensation as the spell wrenched him through space and the fabric of reality, spiriting him and his friends away.

~Shadow's POV~

The wind tore at his face and his clothes, sending adrenaline racing through his body, as he opened up the throttle of his bike, the sleek black machine dodging traffic, with each close call sending an exhilarating thrill of ecstasy through him. He revelled in the speed and power he had, as he blazed past avenue after avenue, racing to the district that only the rich, influential or powerful lived in, such as Doctor Prower and his wife, Rosemary. And world-renown scientist, Gerald Robotnik. As that name passed his thoughts, as smile tugged at his lips. He would never grow tired of the thrill of pride that ran through him, whenever he remembered his creator and grandfather. He was the one who discovered how to harness Chaos Energy, to shape it into useful power, and designer of the Chaos Drives, which would eventually power the murdering weapons that killed his sister, Maria, who had been the reason for his existence: to create a cure for all disease, especially the incurable Neuro-Immunodeficiency Disease, the pinnacle of his research. Even as his thoughts shifted to Maria, the familiar pang in his chest flared again, and his eyes stung behind his helmet, glittering tracks running down the sides. _Maria….. It's been so long._ He glanced at his watch. So it was her birthday today. That, and her death anniversary. A wry grin tugged at his mouth. She had died on the happiest day of her life, or so she had claimed, before G.U.N had stormed in and declared him a threat to all of humanity. Even now, while he still engaged in missions for them, they still distrusted him, and insisted on monitoring each of his movements. Brief fantasies of revenge still lingered on his mind, for killing his sister while she was defenceless and had surrendered. Gerald Robotnik, brilliant scientist he may be, still had yet to find a way to conquer death, even though he stayed up long nights to conduct experiments. "Too much power required" was the current hitch in his plan, meaning it was possible, but only on the magnitude of power even the seven Chaos Emeralds could not hope to match. Yet, he refused to give up, setting up satellites to detect energy surges in the whole of Mobius, on all frequencies. Shadow, while not unsupportive of his ideas, was getting weary of reaching dead ends all the time, and wanted more conclusive results, as futile as those hopes might be. A familiar road greeted him as he shook himself out of his reverie, the third mansion on the right beckoning him with its familiarity. He turned in, the gates already opening, courtesy of N.I.C.O.L.E, the artificial intelligence that had decided to help out at Gerald's, after Tails had acquired M.A.I.A. The cloud of nanites that comprised her body swirled into existence in front of him, as she usually did, greeting him with her familiar face.

"Good evening, Shadow. How was your hospital visit?" Shadow sniffed, having already given up figuring out how she knew everything, instead providing the simple and uncluttered truth. "I went to visit Tails after he crashed. One thing that I found rather strange however, was that his parents weren't even there to visit him. I don't think they even _know_ that he's in the hospital." He indicated across the street, where Amadeus and Rosemary were headed out to Station Square for dinner and _fun._ "They are the most uncaring parents I've ever seen, and believe me, they _are."_ N.I.C.O.L.E. raised a nanite-formed eyebrow. "That is true, and fits with my databases. On hacking into their house's CCTV system, I have observed Amadeus _hitting_ Mr Miles, and Rosemary belittling him for his idiocy to, quote, 'follow the Solaris-damned sciences which brings only hard work and no fame. And also doesn't exactly agree with our religion, Solarity.' For an aspiring writer, she speaks rather poorly." Shadow laughed. "You are one to joke, what with illegal hacking of their home's CCTV." A flash of white nanite teeth answered. "I only break the law for my friends." To which an eye-roll responded. "You're sounding more and more like Mirius, you know, him saying that. Especially to Silver." He strode on through opening doors, and deposited his bag onto a passing robot, which sped off to pack his bag for whatever schedule N.I.C.O.L.E came up with that still _somehow_ contained everything he required. "Is he in the…." Shadow queried, and which she answered with a strange mixture of hushed whisper and concerned question. "Yes he is, and he has always been, for the past oh-so-many years. You might want to go find him. He hasn't eaten lunch nor dinner." He turned to go up the stairs, turning to speak. "Alright then….." He paused, turned, and continued up the stairs, with increasing urgency.

He entered the large room that belonged to world-famous scientist, Gerald Robotnik. A frown creased his brow as he glanced around, noting the experimental set-ups and the striking absence of the man himself, who would usually be seated at his desk and looking at a carefully preserved picture of the family, the one happy moment before everything had been torn apart. It had been Maria's birthday, and they were celebrating it on the ARK, in the observatory deck as usual, looking down upon the turquoise and sapphire orb that was Mobius below. Gerald had just taken a picture, and Maria was about to cut the cake when all had gone horribly wrong, resulting in Maria's death. Yet, on such a significant day, Gerald was not to be seen in his customary spot, and was not even heard. Shadow turned about, heading toward the laboratory, where Gerald would be second most likely to be found. His feet padded silently across the room's lush brown fur carpet, leaving a trail of footprints in the thick fur.

He had but just entered the laboratory, when he could hear Gerald humming quietly to himself, the tune familiar but he could not place it. He could now see Gerald, amidst his glass-enclosed Chaos Drives, adjusting and arranging tubes and the fragile Drives, consulting a hand-held computer. "Aha! Right there you were, delinquent piece of platinum-plated silicon! Ah!" He started, upon catching sight of Shadow. "Solaris, but I didn't see you there! How was today at school?" Shadow sighed. "There isn't school today, Grandfather, you should know that it's the holidays, with you being my principal and all. Tails got into an accident, so I went to visit him in the hospital… and realised that his friends cared more for him than his parents."

"Oh indeed? Hmm let me see…" Gerald strode towards his laboratory wall, which was really just a floor-to-ceiling pane of glass. With such a vantage point, he had an unparalleled view of the street, and the glass that made up the wall was controllable by N.I.C.O.L.E, and could darken or lighten, depending on his wishes. "Aha! There they are!" Gerald indicated with a finger. "Off to have fun eh? How disgusting! They are married, and the places they go to for _fun_ are disgustingly seedy, I could almost burn them to the ground with my Chaos-Drive-Laser thingy that I forgot the schematics of, as well as the name." Gerald grinned sheepishly. "Hey, you can't expect someone my age to remember everything I built, alright?" Shadow merely sighed. "What are you doing here, you usually stay in your room mourning today, the day Maria died! What's with the change?"

At the mention of Maria's name, Gerald visibly deflated, sighing as the memories of that horrible moment came back to him. "Maria…. There might still be a chance to bring her back… I think she would not want me to waste time mourning her, and instead spend my time on trying to bring her back." Shadow sighed again. "Grandfather, did you not say it was impossible, that the power required was too much? Then why do you still insist on doing the impossible?" Gerald raised his head, voice becoming firm. "Because I will not let anything, _anything_ , stop me from seeing my granddaughter again, Solaris-be-damned. I am the greatest scientific mind in the world, and I will stop at nothing to bring her back!"

"Alright, alright, but can you eat something first, before embarking on your solo mission of reversing death? It's already eight!" Gerald glanced down at his watch. "Oh, so it is! I did not realise it! N.I.C.O.L.E! I'm coming to eat now!" He shouted at the monitor, before dashing off to remove his gloves and put down the Chaos Drive he was holding. Shadow stared at the apparatus, feeling the Chaos Energy pulse through the tubes, and flash brilliant colours as they ionised molecules of gas that were in the tubes. Unconsciously, he pulled out a slim black-silver cylindrical tube that had been his most recent birthday present. Gerald and Tails had called it the Chaos Blade, while Mirius called it "oh just another laser sword". He had been tired of receiving Chaos-Drive powered guns so he had asked his friends to get him something different this year. They had complied, Tails and Mirius had collaborated to get him _something_ , that something being this. Tails had provided the design, Gerald had provided the artificial Chaos Emerald that powered it, as well as the Chaos Drive that conducted power through it, as well as his lab to make it, with Tails' parents confiscating his lab and turning it into a movie room. Mirius had provided the crystal that focused the energy of the Chaos Emerald, and to do it, he required an extremely stable "ionic compound of electronegativity difference greater than 3", whatever the hell that was. He had chosen caesium fluoride, and spent six months in his home, growing the crystal to perfection, after which he had sworn never to touch a recrystallizing dish ever again. They had constructed it in secret, and on his birthday, he had never been more surprised. He felt the glossy black tube, trailing his fingers along the silver trim, admiring its sleekness. All his friends had signed their names on the hilt, and the cursive trails added personality to it, and he had declared it the best present he had ever received. Idly, he flicked the button with his finger. With a distinctive _snap-hiss!_ it ignited, the silver blade rising a metre high. Suddenly, he tensed, noticing a fat bald man in a red coat with yellow traces walking along the street. He extinguished the blade, striding closer to the window. _Eggman? What is he doing here?_

He saw Eggman stride to the gate, and press the bell. He ran downstairs, where Gerald and N.I.C.O.L.E were having a hurried discussion on what the best discourse of action would be. "Why is he even here?" a slightly breathless Shadow asked. "Why don't we invite him in to find out?" N.I.C.O.L.E suggested. "Yes, let us do that. We aren't exactly defenceless." Gerald stated, rising to greet his guest.

Eggman entered, greeting Gerald and Shadow. "Good evening, Grandfather, and… cousin?" Gerald sighed. "Yes, you are correct. What have you come for?" he asked, the unspoken question " _And what have you come to do?"_ hanging in the air. "Well, you see, I've reformed, and now I'm not evil anymore, so… I kinda want to teach at your school…if you're okay with it?"

Gerald was shocked. "WHAT?! LET YOU TEACH AT MY SCHOOL? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Ivo bravely pressed on, "You see, I finally got my teaching degree after messing around with the Time-Eater, and I think I have all the qualifications required. I have experience working with Chaos Energy, and have many scientific accolades." He said while pulling out his research papers and degree. Gerald looked at one of them, sniffing while secretly admiring all his work. "Tell me, do you still have any Chaos Emeralds left after attempting to take over the world?" Eggman paused, puzzled by the non sequitur. "Errr….. yeah I do have the blue one…. Why?" Gerald dismissed his queries with a wave. "Give it to me, and I'll make you the head of department for Science." Eggman was puzzled by this, but complied nonetheless. "Very well, I'll pass it to you tomorrow, at 8 am. Can I have a schedule for the teaching I'm going to have to do?" Gerald nodded, mind already wandering along calculations that he had to do to bring Maria back. "I'll give it to you tomorrow as well. Goodnight, Ivo." N.I.C.O.L.E appeared, ushering Eggman to the door from his seat.

When the door closed, Shadow immediately fired off his first question. "Why would you make him Head for Science?" Gerald sighed and looked down at the papers Eggman had given him, that contained all the discoveries he had made. "Look at this. These are all brilliant, simply _brilliant_. He has so much potential….. if only he had chosen to teach than destroy the world…. He could have educated a generation of scientists, and might have even prevented Maria's death. I told you many times, science has never advocated killing, only that people misappropriate it." He said, foreseeing Shadow's question. "A sufficiently advanced scientific community would have long recognised the stupidity and waste of killing a person, especially a Robotnik. Maria Robotnik, of all people." Gerald sighed again. "I'm going back to eat. It is half-past eight, Shadow. You should go…..do whatever you do half-past eight." Gerald grinned at Shadow, whose mouth tilted upwards before he rose and strode back up the stairs, to his room.

Closing his door, he sat down on his bed and began to disrobe, clothes tossed haphazardly on the floor. Naked, he walked into his bathroom and plugged the bathtub and turned on the hot water, while he rummaged in his bag for his phone. Waiting for the bathtub to fill, he sat on the edge, while idly thinking. _Wonder where they are…. Mirius, Sonic, Silver and the rest….._ he yelped as the water rose to the top and scalded him before pouring down the side, stinging his feet. "Damnit….. N.I.C.O.L.E's gonna clean this up." He muttered, before immersing himself into the hot water. "Ahhhhhhh…."

~Meanwhile, on Mirius's POV~

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mirius screamed as he sat up suddenly and violently, waking up from his unconscious battle to not scream in an undignified, schoolgirlish manner. He looked around, still panting and heaving from his scream. _Why the hell am I in a really dark room? On what I think is a bed? Where the hell are my friends?_ He cast around frantically, making out Sonic on another bed, and eventually realised he was in a room with all his friends still asleep. Unconsciously, he pressed his hand to his forehead, expecting pain, maybe blood, but there wasn't any. There wasn't even any bruising, from what he could tell. He slipped off the soft bed, sliding silently onto the apparently carpeted floor, and quietly felt along the walls for a door. Walking blindly, he felt his way along the wall, following where it turned. That is, until he tripped over a bed, and crashed on top of something soft. Moaning softly, he raised himself on his elbows and realised he was lying spread-eagled atop of Silver. A crimson blush flooded his face as blood rushed to his face, flushing scarlet against his pale skin and cream-white fur. _Oh Solaris….._ He thought as he struggled to get up and off Silver, frantically trying to raise himself off the bed. Suddenly, Silver jerked in his sleep, in response to whatever horrible nightmare he was having. The sudden spasm sent Silver's knee hurtling straight between Mirius' legs as he tried to get off the bed. The slam of Silver's knee colliding was audible, and Mirius' mouth opened in a soundless gasp as he rolled off the bed, curling into a ball, with his hands clutching his crotch. He gasped soundlessly as he fought off the urge to vomit, biting his lips to contain the scream which he was sure would wake the dead. "Ahhhh…..ahhhhhhh….." he heaved quietly as he tried to breathe again, the pain driving the air from his lungs. He lay there on the floor for a few minutes, until he was confident of standing without puking the moment he stood, and that he could also breathe without choking. Slowly, he uncurled and rose, thin dribbles of pink-tinged saliva trailing his lips, which he wiped off with his sleeve. He tentatively took a step forward, and another when he didn't feel like lying back down and vomiting all over his feet. After three steps, he had fully recovered, and also found the door, complete with doorknob. Gingerly, he pushed it down, and the door swung noiselessly open.

~Narration~

He found a white-robed figure standing outside, looking like he was about to open the door himself. "Oh, I'm sorry, I did not realise you would wake so soon." The white-robed figure apologized politely, while starting to turn away. "Come, I have many things to discuss with you, Mirius." Mirius was stunned. "How do you know my name? Do you _stalk_ me?" The white-robed figure laughed quietly. "No, I do not… you are simply a very open person. Come, and I'll explain everything." He said as he turned on his heel and strode away, white robes flying behind him. Mirius, having no choice followed.

He followed the white-robed figure to a room, lit with softly burning candles, and decorated with an elaborate clock. The ceiling twinkled softly, and only after a closer look, did he realise those were stars. The desk to which he was led was laden with stacks of paper, scattered pens, and a softly glowing oil lamp. "Sit," the soft voice of the figure said, himself taking a seat at the comfy looking armchair behind the desk. Mirius sat, strangely at ease with this strange person he just met. "Coffee? Tea? Or perhaps hot chocolate?" Mirius considered. "Err-" and was interrupted by the robed figure. "Hot chocolate it is then." Mirius was slightly speechless. "Did you just-" and was interrupted again. "Read your thoughts? Yes, you can do a lot better at hiding them you know…" he said, trailing off.

The figure busied himself making two cups of hot chocolate, stirring seemingly cold water into cocoa powder and adding milk. After the figure stared at the cups for a while, wisps of steam could be seen coming from the hot chocolate. The figure then raised his hand and a bag of marshmallows lifted from a low table near the wall where the kettle and what looked like biscuits, and floated to him, a ghostly silvery light playing around the bag. At this point Mirius was flabbergasted and completely puzzled. "Whoa, what… the….Hell is going on right now?". A grin was visible in the shadow of the hood. "Can't you tell? Magic is going on, that's what's going on." The figure flipped back his hood, revealing an anthropomorphic hedgehog, with light grey fur and brilliant blue eyes, that held a twinkle of humour in them. A smile played on his lips, as Mirius struggled to take this all in. "I'm Percival, the seventh archmage of the Order of White Sorcery. Well, I don't really care about titles, so it's mostly useless to me. I'm a teacher here, a teacher of the art of magic, and teaching is all I really care about. But to teach, we need pupils. And pupils don't just appear out of nowhere, we have to find them. But we've never found someone with as much….. _power_ ….. as you do. So much talent in one. I believe that you have a rare…condition." Mirius was both flattered and insulted at the same time. "A condition? What the hell are you talking about?!" Percival raised his hands to calm Mirius down. "You are…..what do you call it again?... a natural. You have the art of magic, its power in your blood, in your soul, in your genetics itself. It's extremely rare, but from what I've seen, they are usually so powerful, they pose a danger if not properly trained." Mirius was confused now. "Danger? What danger? I don't go around with knives if that's what you're saying. I only go around with…restricted chemicals heehee." Mirius said as he giggled embarrassedly. "Well, magic is wielded by the mind. Thus you can accidentally use magic, when you are still untrained, and the magic will follow your emotions. You can, quite literally, burn someone up with your anger." Percival said all this seriously. "That's why you are dangerous. You can accidentally _kill_ someone in an argument." Mirius was speechless. "You are telling me I'm a danger because of my genetics?!" Percival paused, before answering. "Basically, yes. Don't you realise that you are not even hurt right now? In any other person, he would still be bleeding, from that nasty scrape across your face. But your body uses the magic to speed up its healing. In fact, a trained mage can heal with magic. Let me demonstrate." Percival said while flicking out a razor-sharp knife from somewhere in his robes. "Hand please." Mirius reluctantly extended his hand, convinced that with all the impossible things he had seen, this would too be possible. Percival dragged the blade against Mirius' palm, leaving a long bloody gash. "OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Mirius screamed as blood started to pour onto the desk. Even then, Percival murmured a few words, and Mirius felt that familiar feeling of magic rush into his hand, knitting back the wounded flesh and sealing the skin. As he watched, the wound closed of its own accord, leaving no scar or sign that it was even there. "You have a choice Mirius. I won't force you to learn magic if you don't want to, but you will lose control of that power one day."

Mirius closed his eyes. "But Solarity forbids it." Percival sighed. "I won't make you do what you don't want to, but tell me, do you even really believe in Solaris anymore? I can see as much from your mind."

~Mirius' POV~

"No…not really anymore…..after I found out….."Mirius said quietly, breath hitching in tiny sobs. Percival looked at him. "I'll be honest with you right now, you can tell me anything that you want to." Mirius looked up at him. "Can I have some time to think about this first? I'll give you my answer in the morning." Percival rose. "Certainly, you can stay the night. It was most unkind of me to ask you to make such a major decision so late in the night; you must be exhausted. Come, I'll bring you back to your room." He led Mirius back to the room, where he walked to his bed, head low as he climbed on. Percival whispered a 'goodnight' as he turned and closed the door. Alone, in the dark, Mirius felt his tears start to run down his face, sobs threatening to break out, held in by sheer willpower. _After…..after I found out that I liked another person of the same gender…and I hated myself for it…. I asked Solaris everyday why I felt like that, if I was a broken, if I had a defect….and I would receive no answer…Oh Solaris answer me tonight….. answer me in any way, any how…. Just give me an answer!_ Mirius felt fresh tears run down his face, as he entreated, prayed, demanded of his god to give him a sign. _Help me….please._

~Silver's POV~

He woke up, to a faint hissing sound, and could vaguely make out Mirius in the darkness. "Mirius?" he whispered softly. He heard a sharp breath being taken, and then in a carefully controlled voice, he heard Mirius answer. "Yes?" Silver slipped off his bed and padded over. "I thought you were crying, and I came by to see if you were alright. Are you alright?" he asked, slipping into Mirius' bed with him. "No….. thanks anyways. I was just told that I was a danger to everyone because….because I have….magic." Silver nestled closer to him, slipping an arm around him. Mirius tensed, then relaxed into his arms. "Thanks….." he whispered faintly, pushing his face into Silver's chest, wrapping his arms around Silver's waist. "You aren't a danger to anyone…..you are so nice, how could you be dangerous?" Silver said as he felt wet streaks against his clothes. "It's against my religion too…..which I don't really believe in anymore….." Silver pulled Mirius closer. "Shhhh….its going to be alright in the morning." Mirius hugged tighter. "How? I'm going to have to choose in the morning…..Solaris forgive me…" Silver was silent for a while. "Mirius?". When no answer was forthcoming, he glanced down to see Mirius had fallen asleep on him, and closed his eyes too, head resting atop of Mirius'.

~Sonic's POV~

He woke up slightly to make out Silver and Mirius lying together in the dark, and felt a slight pang of jealousy. He did not know the source of that jealousy, but still felt it nonetheless. _Some people get all the fun…and I can't._ He thought of the psychopathic girl that idolised him, that chased him everywhere, that was Amy. He couldn't stand her but didn't want to hurt her feelings…maybe. He shifted uncomfortably, and rolled over, falling back to an uncomfortable slumber, which became much more comfortable when he dreamed of…..Tails.

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Review and Favourite? Please? *Big eyes


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, I'm back! This chapter might seem a little dry, and I apologize, but it's plot. This is a story, alright! The focus will move back to Sonic and Tails when Tails gets out of the hospital, so stay tuned! Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except Mirius and Percival, SEGA does. Please follow and fav is you liked it and reviews would be great too! Enjoy!~

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~Chapter 3~ Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

~Tails' POV~

"Bye Tails! See ya up and about soon!" was the last thing he heard from Sonic before he started slipping into the warm arms of sleep, his body begging to rest and heal. He struggled against its hold on him, knowing he was on a slippery slope, wanting to see Sonic's face one last time. Mustering his remaining strength, he drew breath into his injured lungs and forced it out into a single word. "B…B…. Bye….." With that, his vision faded, and he promptly fell asleep, lost to the never-ending realm of dreams.

~Tails' Dreamworld~

He opened his eyes to find himself seated back on Bygone Island, in the house he shared with Sonic. _How can be here? I'm in the hospital! This must be a dream. But if it is, it's_ my _dream, and I will dream what I want. I want to dream about…about Sonic!_ As if in response to his wishful thought, the door opened to none other than the blue speedster himself. "Hi Tails! Wanna go skiing?" Tails was nonplussed with such a strange statement. "Of course! I would go anywhere with you, but is there a special event today?" The cobalt hedgie laughed. "You'll see!" Tails grabbed his boards and poles, before digging into his closet for his scarf. Opening the door, he was greeted with a stunningly magnificent sight of Sonic in all his glory. The light caught his quills, and threw a magical glow across his body. His face, with its curves and those beautifully intense emerald orbs. _Have I died and gone to heaven? I wonder-_ Tails was startled out of his thoughts by Sonic waving a hand in front of his face. "I know that I'm hot, but its rude to stare. Ready to go now?" This brought a blush to Tails' cheeks, but he quickly masked it with his scarf. "Yeah, but do you want to see if Mirius wants to come too?" He asked, with the hopes that Mirius could advise him how to go about telling Sonic. It might be a dream, but it could be good practice. "Yeah, lil bro, let's go find him." Hefting him up on his shoulders, Sonic took off with Tails to find Mirius.

It didn't take long. The first clue they had was an explosive concussion which shook the stones of the path they walked on. The second one was a column of purple flame rising twenty feet. And the third was a white furred hedgie in a burning lab coat, cursing and swearing, without any vulgarities, in a strangely scientific way. "Molybdenum thorium erbium fluorine uranium carbon potassium erbium! That bismuth technetium hydrogen sold me a contaminated sample! Fluorine uranium carbon potassium!"***

"Errrrr… Mirius? What happened exactly?"

"I was trying to prepare potassium perchlorate in large amounts, which was supposed to be dangerous and succeeded. Sort of. It kept crackling ominously, so I suspect impurities, organic or otherwise, in the potassium chlorate. The not-so-dangerous-but-still-somewhat-dangerous part was me trying to use it up in an oxidation. Y'know, experimentally. So I added one litre of ethanol slowly, but there was a small pop, and I ended up dumping the whole litre into the beaker, and the whole thing blew up in my face. It was an experiment!" He retorted when he saw the judgemental stares on Sonic's and Tails' faces.^^^

"Well, we wanted to ask you if you wanted to come ski with us, but your accident needs cleaning, so….can you come?"

"Of course! Are you kidding me? The explosion is why I have lab assistants! Priscilla! Clean up this mess. At once!" He clapped his hands to emphasise the command. "At once, sir." The long-suffering expression on Priscilla's face as she pulled out her hazard suit and waded into the burning lab.

"So….. speed me to my home and I'll get my boards."

"No problem." Sonic grabbed both Tails and Mirius' hands, taking off at the speed of sound. The closeness of Sonic's hands brought a crimson flush to Tails' face, and he was glad that Sonic was running, looking straight ahead, so he could not see his face. In no time, he had brought them to Mirius' home, and it took only seven minutes for him to grab all his stuff. "Seven minutes, not bad Mirius. New record!" Sonic applauded as he noted the time. "Shut…up…" He puffed through gritted teeth as he had to dig through all the layers of apparatus and textbooks to find his boards and poles. "Ready to go?" Sonic asked as he once again lifted Tails up on his shoulders and took Mirius' hand. Tails blushed harder as he felt the proximity of his hero and hoped fervently that Sonic would not notice, which thankfully, he didn't.

"Ready bud? We're gonna thrash that bitch!" Sonic called to Tails, a wink on his grinning face. "You bet!" He replied, digging his poles into the snow. "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, misogynistic dicks." Mirius retorted smoothly. "On my mark, get set…GO!" He yelled, pushing off. Sonic's eyes widened dramatically as he saw Mirius shoot off, much, _much_ faster than possible with ordinary boards. "Poly(tetrafluoroethene) for the win!" He screamed, flying over snow and ice at inhumane speeds. Tails could only grin as he crashed through a snowbank, blasting through it with a powdery coating of frost sticking to him. The grin faded as he realised Mirius was way ahead of them, and Sonic was attempting to run-ski, but only succeeding in falling over and breaking a board in two. "Great. Fantastic. How awesome." Sonic disconsolately said as he pulled off his boards. Tails was already quite a distance from him, chasing futilely after Mirius and his chemistry-demon-powered skis. He shot past the finish, with a margin of fifty seconds from Tails.

"Ohhhhh yeah, who's the "bitch" that's gonna be thrashed huh?" he sang, twirling his poles as they trudged back to find Sonic. "Wanna go to Doctor Robotnik's amusement park?" Tails suddenly blurted out. Mirius appeared to consider. "Yeah, why not? We can get lunch there…..Sushi is available I think. Let's get Sonic first, though." They soon rounded the corner to see Sonic already packed and ready to go, his damaged board strapped to his back. "Heard something about sushi, so let's go! I wanna try the chilli-dog-in-seaweed thingy!" Mirius and Tails turned away, faces pale, ears drooping.

"You've got to make everything disgusting, even food now?" Mirius and Tails chorused. Sonic just chuckled and grabbed their hands, about to dash off to the amusement park of their former enemy when, suddenly, Tails felt as if he was falling away from his friends, and a brilliant glow enfolded him, drowning out everything else.

~Tails' POV~

Then, the glow burst, and he woke. The window of the ward he was in was wide open, and the brilliant sunlight was streaming in, blinding him with its radiance. He screwed his eyes shut, slowly waiting for them to adjust, blinking away the last remnants of sleep. When his eyes cleared, he eventually could make out a clock on a little beside table beside him, which indicated that it was ten past ten. He yawned. _How long was I out for? Will anyone visit me? It's getting quite boring already, being unable to do anything except lie down in bed, helpless until Sonic or someone turns up._ At the thought of Sonic, he felt a warmth rush through his body as he remembered his dream. He could feel himself tensing, blood rushing down under, a slight disturbance in the smooth contours of the blanket. He frantically tried to stem his hard-on, to no avail. _Oh no, if someone comes in, they're gonna see me like this!_ He tried to think of maths, physics, running calculations in his head, but all those seemed to turn back to Sonic. He pulled the blankets up higher, trying to hide the evidence of his erection, which seemed extremely unlikely to go away any time soon. The sudden entrance of the nurse almost caused him to scream, and he only managed not to by the sheer force of his will, biting his lip with the effort.

"Oh good, you're awake! Would you like breakfast, or prefer to eat later? I will inform the doctor of your waking, while you make a choice." With that, the female cat turned, and strode out of the room. _That was kind of abrupt and rude. She must be the head nurse._ He thought as he remembered all the times Blaze bemoaned her crappy superior. He glanced down, and was relieved to find his penis slowly retreating, his sudden shock at the surprise entrance of the head nurse finally getting the message across. _Well, that wasn't a completely bad thing, I guess._ The doctor entered, followed closely by the nurse Tails deduced to be the head nurse. His suspicions were confirmed by his observations: she walked with an urgency to her steps like that of people with much to do, yet her mannerisms suggested a familiarity with commanding people around and a good deal more professionalism than most of the other nurses he had seen. The doctor took a look at the monitor that tracked his heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. Tails didn't bother; he'd seen it already and knew most of what was on screen at the moment. Yet the doctor had a strange look on his face, which seemed to either be doubt or panic. He bent over Tails and inspected his fur closely, along his ribs, especially at his side. This started to cause Tails to worry, and he decided to clarify before making assumptions. After all, assumptions were what caused so many altercations in his life, an example being his creation of UT on the assumption that his friends would be delighted. Long story short: they were not.

"What is wrong with me, Doctor?" He tentatively asked, eyes searching the doctor's face for an answer. The brown anthropomorphic fox straightened from his inspection, a slight frown on his face. "It could be a false reading, but I think you have internal bleeding."

"What?!"

"Yes, indeed. You have a slight swelling under your left bottom rib, and that is a tell-tale sign of internal bleeding. It seems quite slight, however, and hopefully your body can resolve this by itself. Medications will be prescribed to ensure it heals. Other than that, you may continue with your choice of breakfast." The doctor gestured to the head nurse, before turning on his heel and striding away. "Uhh…What do you have on the menu?"

"Biscuits, pancakes, scrambled eggs, waffles. There's orange juice, coffee or tea. Your choice."

Tails considered this. "Waffles and scrambled eggs with orange juice then." The anthropomorphic cat merely nodded, before spinning on her heel and striding off purposefully. Tails slumped back into his pillows, and sighed. _Would really be nice if my friends were here._ He wistfully recalled his freedom, now taken away with these casts. He wasn't even sure where to start, with all the injuries trailing their nasty scars on his body. He flipped back the part of the blanket over his left arm. There, under the soft yellow fur, pale lines ran across his smooth skin, crisscrossing and marring the otherwise flawless surface. He shuddered as he remembered how close Sonic had been to discovering them. He remembered when he first started to cut himself, to relieve the pain of never ever capturing the heart of his beloved.

 _~Flashback~_

He was in school, with Sonic and all his other friends. Back then, he was starting high school, and the only familiar things were his friends. He felt so alone, so afraid, unable to predict what would happen. Yet, in the midst of all that chaos, one thing remained a constant, a beacon of light amidst the choppy waters and dark skies. It was Sonic. Sonic, who was there when he fell down, when he was bullied, when he was picked on by even the teachers, one of which was his father. Within him, an admiration blossomed, increasing daily without fail. Yet, this admiration would swell into forbidden ground: Love. Love, which was in defiance of a central rule of Solarity, which read: A male shall not lay with another male as he lays with a woman; it is detestable in the eyes of Solaris. Love, which ran counter to the norms of society. A love, which he had only told, in the greatest confidence, to another: Mirius. As this love for Sonic built within him, it filled his heart, till his yearning caused him pain, which was not easily relieved, haunting him every day with its bitter melancholy. The pain was like a blade, slipping deeper into his heart, twisting inside. It was always there, even in his joyful moments, where it retreated into the darkest recesses of his mind, coming out only in the nights to haunt him, in his loneliness and sorrow. It was then, desperate to relieve the pain, he picked up a real knife, reasoning it could not be worse than the metaphorical knife in his heart, and slashed it across his left arm in a swift, measured slice. As the cool kiss of the blade sang against his skin, and the crimson liquid splattered over his table, he felt a diminishing of the pain in his heart. It was still there, consistently growing, but now he was able to actually _feel_ it, in the physical realm of the body. His heart lifted, relieved of some of its burden. Through the night, he felt the touch of the blade many times, the coolness of the metal numbing the pain in his heart, slowly taking his pain away part by part, its stinging touch caressing him till the dawn. It was then he saw, in the morning light, the effects his action had left. The wood of his table was stained with crimson lifeblood, seeping off the sides and spilling onto the floor. His skin was marred with the touch of the blade, its every turn recorded into his flesh. Where his hand had slipped in the night, the trace was there, embedded in his skin. Yet, his heart felt freer, lighter than it had been for a long time. Cleaning up was easy enough; Mirius had been more than happy to help bleach the wooden table to remove the stains, only asking how it had happened. He had told him everything, his love for Sonic, and all his bottled-up emotions, baring his soul to him like never before, trusting him implicitly. His faith had been well-founded, as even now, almost a year or so later, no-one else knew of his attraction, nor his self-mutilation.

~Tails' POV~

Tails sighed as he remembered that memory. He had been a devout Solarian, but when he realised his love for Sonic, he had fallen far, his world seeming like it was crashing at his feet. He had quit praying or doing anything that the church of Solaris told him to do. He used to ask of the god, in the midst of his self-hate, why was he felt like that, but was met with no response, and eventually came to the conclusion that the times the god had "spoken" to him were merely his hallucinations. He still went to church, to upkeep his pretence at being a Solarian, but inside his heart was dead and cold, darker than a moonless night, with only the thought that one day, Sonic would reciprocate his feelings. Yet, for all his conclusions that the god was unlikely to be real, members of the Church of Solaris still performed miracles, with strange testimonies of the god healing broken limbs and the like. Therefore, the god must exist. Yet he could not understand why the god would not answer his query of one of the rules laid down by itself. He sighed yet again, only to be interrupted by an ordinary nurse entering, with his breakfast.

"Here's your breakfast, and you are required to take the medicine immediately after you eat. I will come in at eleven to ensure you have taken it. Anything else in particular you would like to have right now? If not, you can press the button and I'll come by." She said when she saw Tails shake his head. "Uhh… okay then." The nurse spun around, and strode out of the room, muttering something about needing coffee. _Addict._ Tails thought to himself as he slowly lay back into the pillows.

"I wonder where they are right now… I could really use a talk with Mirius…. He was the only one who could understand me and tried to help me, and he actually offered sound advice and a listening ear…which I really needed, unlike the useless preacher that I endure every Saturday. Well, better eat this before it gets cold." Tails pondered aloud as he reached for the cutlery and pulled the plate closer to him. "It does look good…. Does it taste as good as it looks?" Drawing the knife in repeated rows, he squared the waffles and poured a generous helping of syrup all over it. Lifting a piece to his mouth, he tentatively took a bite.

It was heavenly. Sweeter than anything he had tasted before, it left a delicious aftertaste in his mouth that lingered for a while. _I could die for this kind of food. Well,_ _close enough._ He thought wryly as he glanced down at himself. He speared a piece of the egg on his knife, licking it off it. _This tastes soooo good._ Within minutes, he polished off his plate, laying his cutlery neatly across his plate. Then, a thought struck him. If he wanted his friends to be with him, he could call them. After all, Doctor Robotnik had launched a satellite with the intent of providing the whole of Mobius with a quick mode of communication, as part of his self-imposed society improvement project. _Well, I never think I would say this, but thanks, Robotnik!_ He thought as he dialled in Mirius' number. "Well, here goes."

~Mirius's POV~

 _In the nightlight, do you see what you dream?_

 _All your troubles, are they all what they seem?_

 _Look around you, then you may realize_

 _All the preachers, all with their lies._

-Dreams of an Absolution.

Mirius stirred as this song played loudly, an annoying vibration in his pocket. Muttering, he rolled over off Silver onto the source of the vibrations, and was startled into consciousness. Wondering who could be calling him at this unholy hour, he slipped out his phone, sliding his finger across the screen to answer, while blushing and fervently praying that Silver wouldn't wake up and ask him why was his ringtone _that_ song.

"Mirius? Will you be visiting me any time soon? I'm really bored here in the hospital, and I need somebody to talk to."

"Uhhh…. Yeah I can visit you within the week, don't worry about that."

"Mirius? Do you have a sore throat or something? Your voice sounds….different somehow."

"Uhhh….. no it's not a sore throat, it's something else. I'll tell you everything when I see you! Bye!"

"Okay-"

As he hung up, Mirius noticed that the time was not extremely early as he had thought it was, but instead it was already eleven. He yawned, and rolled back over, realising that he had fallen asleep on Silver. A blush rose to his cheeks, tinting them a pale pink, as he realised that while he had completely recovered, his friends had not. And he had been sleeping on one of Silver's many bruises. A shy, embarrassed smile crept along his lips, and he gently shook Silver awake, but he only rolled over, and continued sleeping. Mirius rolled his eyes, and playfully rubbed at Silver's bruises, before starting to run his hands over his back, massaging the pains out of Silver's damaged frame, soothing the aches that he was indirectly responsible for.

~Silver's POV~

 _Ooooooh….ouchhhhhh….owwwwwww_. Were the thoughts running through Silver's mind as he slowly woke. His ribs ached particularly badly, and he winced every time he breathed in. Yet, his back did not feel that bad, and it took him a second to recognise hands running along the contours of his back, rubbing out all the pain that yesterday had left on him. _Mirius? What is he doing to me?_ He opened one eye, and immediately caught sight of Mirius kneeling on the bed, massaging his back. Involuntarily, he let out a low moan as Mirius' hand found a particularly bruised spot and rubbed at it. At the notice of his waking, Mirius immediately stopped rubbing at Silver's back, a sheepish grin on his face. "I ahh…fell asleep on your chest yesterday…and errr….thought you would appreciate it cause you looked pretty banged up…heeheehee." Mirius explained as he giggled shyly. Silver propped himself up on his elbows. "Thanks anyways… what's with your voice? Does it have anything to do with… oh." He said as he glanced down at his shirt, at the faded tracks of Mirius' tears through the night. Mirius glanced around, Silver following suit. "Seems like the rest are waking up….hey look, it's your adoptive sister, Blaze! I hope they have medical supplies here….. everyone looks horrible." Mirius said as he looked at everyone waking up, the brilliant sunlight flooding in the windows and illuminating the room. "Did someone call just now? I could have sworn I felt vibrations and very loud music." Mirius glanced away before replying. "Yeah, it was Tails, he was bored and wondered when we could visit. Do you want to go outside for a while first? The door is there, where I …errr….tripped last night. Yeah, I tripped…..on a bed! Yes!" Mirius spoke rapidly, not allowing Silver an opening. "Err….ohkay…why not?", he answered, rising from the bed and walking to the door, opening it and stepping out.

~Narration~

As the two of them stepped out into the hallway outside, they realised they _had_ been sleeping in the medical bay. "Huh, was it too much to ask for somethings like bandages? Amy is bleeding across her forehead and my whole body is in complete pain." Silver grumbled. Mirius merely laughed quietly before walking along the corridor. "I'm sure we can ask for directions if we want to come back here, I want to see if there is anything interesting in this place anyways." Silver reluctantly followed. "You _sure_ you know the way back?". "Nope, but I'm taking my chances. C'mon Silver, _please?_ " Silver finally relented, giving up on convincing Mirius that this was a bad idea.

"Err…..this is the way to Percival's office…..I think?" Mirius wondered aloud uncertainly. "Who's Percival?" Silver asked, somewhat puzzled at the random name that Mirius seemed to have plucked out of thin air. "Oh, Percival, he's the seventh archmage here, at the Order of White Sorcery." Silver was only more confused by this exotically puzzling answer. "What's the Order of White Sorcery? Is it a cult or something? How do you know all this anyways?!" Mirius raised his hands in a placating manner. "Calm down, Silver. He'll explain everything…..and I hope you'll still support my decision that I made last night, while alone and in the dark, with only you for company." Silver was completely mystified by this, yet answered, "I'll always support your decisions, be it a mistake to or not. That's what friends are for, right? But what is the decision about even?" Mirius lowered his head, face carefully kept blank. "Yeah, friends…. Oh, here we are!" he said, deflecting the question. He raised his fist, knocking gently on the simple wooden door, that only had the name "Percival" inscribed on it. "Enter," a voice from within commanded, the door swinging open of its own accord. "Woah," Silver said, awestruck by the door opening by itself.

"Have a seat, I'll make some more hot cocoa. Oh, I did not know you brought a friend with you, Mirius! I'll need an extra cup then. Do have a seat while I go to the kitchens to get one." Percival said, rising from his chair to usher them in, and to slip past to get a cup. Mirius and Silver sat, Silver perched on the edge of his chair somewhat awkwardly, while Mirius sat with the uncertain familiarity of one who had been to a place once ever, and everything seemed familiar-ish. Silver opened his mouth. "What is the decision about again?" Mirius merely smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out….very soon, in fact. As soon as Percival gets back." Saying no more, he relaxed, leaning back into the chair, content to be with his best friend, even without talking. Silver leant back into his chair too, the feeling mutual.

Percival stepped in, carrying three cup laden with steaming cocoa. He set the cups before them, and sat back down into his chair. "Didn't sleep one bit last night. I was up till five marking all these papers," he said, making an expansive gesture with his hands. "Well, at least I got them all sorted out….finally. So what brings you here to my office at…eleven a.m? It is understandably late, but I don't see why you couldn't have woken sooner. Oh well, I'm free now as it is." Mirius leant forward in his chair. "Can you do something for my friends? They are in a horrible state, and Amy, beauty queen that she is, is bound to wake up anytime soon, and from my experience as a member of the same group at her in church, the church of Solaris, she is extremely fanatical about her religion…and might cause….complications. Because, Percival, I've decided. I want to learn….magic."

A rising shriek was heard outside Percival's door, before it was kicked in. "SO YOU WOULD ABANDON YOUR RELIGION?! I'M TELLING OUR LEADER!" Mirius buried his head in his hands. "Oh…no….." He moaned softly. "IF YOU LEARN THIS FILTHY WITCHCRAFT, DON'T CALL ME A FRIEND ANYMORE! I'LL HAVE YOU BURNED AT THE STAKE! WHERE IS THE EXIT!" Amy screamed, and upon seeing the exit sign, stormed out, hurling insults left, right and centre.

Percival merely stood up, and snapped his fingers. A flickering blue glow lit his hand, and streaked after Amy, hitting her back. "Ah!" She yelped, before slumping down into a heap, stunned. Percival extended a hand and, willing the magic to his command, dragged her to his room. "Hmm….. we'll have to make her forget some things, it seems." He floated her up and held her fixed in place, while rummaging through his drawers for something. "Aha!" He said, holding up a silver needle. "What's that for? It seems to have no use; it doesn't matter." Silver said dubiously. "No, duh, I need it to inject drugs into her." Percival said, while fishing out a vial of some amber liquid. Dipping the silver needle in, he inserted it into her neck, before pulling it out. "There. Sedated, and thus more open to mental suggestions. Didn't want to put her to sleep with a lightning bolt; those things are unpredictable and overkill in this case." Slipping into teacher mode, he continued. "So, while mental suggestions can be done while the subject is conscious, for beginners and best results, do it while the subject is unconscious." Mirius took a step back uncertainly. "This all looks very…..strange? New? Almost impossible? How can I wield so much power?"

Percival looked him in the eye, seeming more like a shadow in the gloom of his room, yet his eyes were a brilliant blue against the dark of the room. With a gesture, he extinguished the fire in the fireplace, as well as all the candles and lamps. Silver took a step back nervously, while Mirius barely stood his ground. When Percival spoke, his voice was more a hiss than words.

"So…. you think you do not have power? Even though I can feel it radiating off you? Very well, a test then. Show me your power. Light the fireplace now."

Mirius took a step back, hands trembling. "No… I can't…. I don't know how to…"

Percival took a step forward, his figure made more terrible by the darkness. His voice cut like a whip, with its force. "Light it now. Show me what power you have."

Mirius stammered incoherently. "I can't, I don't know how to, don't make me do this!"

Percival drew himself up, his figure magnified in the dimness, everything about him menacing and implacable. " _Show me now."_

Mirius screamed inarticulately, and spun around, an explosion of fire racing down his fingers, sizzling and burning everything in its path, with its white-hot intensity. It shot towards the fire place, flaring a brilliant orange-white as it consumed the wood, the force of the explosion shaking the building.

Percival and Silver poked their heads out of behind Percival's heavy wooden desk. The metal grate had melted, and the metal was burning (metal can burn now?), the mantelpiece had been vaporised, and the stones near the fire place trickled molten lava. Amidst it all, Mirius stood unsteadily, swaying slightly. "I do have the magic….." he said before collapsing. Silver dived and caught him, before he fell into the puddle of molten stone, and Percival finished the memory spell on Amy before teleporting her home. "I hope she ends up somewhere near home, I didn't have time to do a very accurate transport. Mirius is far more important right now. Bring him to the medical bay, quick!" Silver groaned as a fresh wave of pain assaulted him again. "Owwww….. can we slow down? My _whole_ body hurts." Percival reached over and touched him, hand flaring with an eldritch light. Yet, the light seemed to take away his aches and pains, rejuvenating his body to perfection. The spell seemed to take a lot out of Percival, however, he slowed down, breathing ragged. "Hurry!" he wheezed, steps slowing. Silver sighed, and lifted Mirius and Percival with his telekinesis. "Interesting, so you have magic too? You never registered on our detectors." Silver ran with the two floating in tow. "These are natural abilities, not really magic so I guess it wouldn't register. Like my sister, Blaze, can create fire, but that's her natural ability. She's also really fiery, i.e bitchy." Silver smiled, teeth showing. "Here we are!" he shouted as he ran in the medical room, dumping Mirius on the bed he slept on yesterday and Percival on the floor. "Owww…..what happened to respect for the elderly?" Percival grumbled as he rose slowly from the floor. His gaze then became blank as he seemed to look away in a faraway distance.

Silver's attention was drawn back to the bed where Mirius lay, moaning softly. Sonic and Blaze stepped over, bandages on cuts and salve on bruises, courtesy of Blaze's training. "Where's Amy? She walked out a few minutes ago to find the toilet, and suddenly, we heard shrieking. Is she alright?" Blaze asked. Silver looked back down at Mirius. "Err…yeah, she alright, she's back at her home already…. I think." Blaze was puzzled. "You think?" Sonic stepped aside, lips pursing in a silent sigh of relief. Silver continued. "Err…. Yeah… why don't we let Percival fix Mirius _first_ , then he can explain everything to us?" he said, giving Percival a meaningful look. Percival's gaze snapped back to the present. "Yes, Silver, I'll explain everything, but first a healer is on her way here now, to fix Mirius. And you all too, if you all so desir-… oh I see. Was it you, Miss nurse?" Percival asked, catching Blaze's uniform. "Err….yes?" They were interrupted by a gentle knocking on the door. Percival stared at the door, and willed it to open. The door slid open soundlessly, though with more force than expected. An anthropomorphic fox almost fell inwards, the door opening by itself catching him off-guard.

"Sorry that we could not tend to any of you last night, we had all retired for the night. Is the patient the white hedgehog lying down in that bed, Mr Percival?" Percival nodded. "Indeed." The fox went to place his hand on Mirius's forehead, but immediately jerked his hand back when there was a flash of light, a sharp 'pop', and the stink of ozone filled the room. "Lightning? Impressive…. And without training too." Percival noted. Silver shot him a dirty look. "For a teacher, you aren't teaching very impressively, landing your students in hospital." Percival glanced at him. "No, I'm merely marvelling at how powerful and talented he is. And cut me some slack; I've never taught a natural before. I think he is experiencing something along the lines of a crack in a full dam. When I released his power, it opened a little, and now everything wants to pour out. Usually, this isn't dangerous as most people have little power when they start, and what is released may be powerful, but certainly not something like lightning, or fire that burns stone to lava. I think…. I think given a little more time, he could level Station Square with the power he contains. Just thinking." He said, noting the dirty looks coming his way. "I wonder what Mirius is hallucinating about." The fox said, noting the high temperature recorded on her thermometer, which she had placed on Mirius' forehead, arms fully extended to keep as far away as possible. Thankfully, no lightning bolts flew this time. Mirius shifted in his sleep, mumbling something about Amy and Solaris.

~Mirius' Dreamworld~

He stood alone, on a giant empty field. Empty, save for a massive building in front of him, and where a pink hedgehog stood. It was his church, or so he could make out. Suddenly, he was much closer, the pink hedgehog before him, and he could make out her screams, which happened to be death threats. "YOU WILL BURN FOR THIS MIRIUS! THE SINS YOU HAVE COMMITED WILL BE PAID FOR! BURN IN HELL, FAGGOT!" Even in his dreams, he held on to a semblance of sanity, rational thought still there, even if distorted slightly. _How does she know? I've never told her….thus this is probably just a horrible nightmare._ Nightmare or not, this was awfully close to the real thing. Above her, the god Solaris loomed. "Evil will not persist any longer in my sight! Solaris, I pray that you strike down this sinner this moment!" She cried out, arms raised in a dramatic poise. The god raised a fist, and brought it hurtling down on Mirius, determined to crush him. Mirius screamed soundlessly, and suddenly, felt a sharp flare of euphoria within him. It was the same addicting rush of power that ran through him when his lit Percival's fireplace, when he first realised the powers he had. It flooded his body, and leapt at his fingertips, before flashing out as a blaze of electrical energy. A loud _crack_ was heard, and the bolt of lightning struck Solaris, shattering the god apart, throwing Amy aside. Yet, even as the image of the god shattered apart, another reformed to take its place. His lips twisting into a snarl, he sent forth another bolt of fire, which raced through the sky, tearing the god apart. He turned his gaze to the church. _I will burn that place to the ground._ The dark thought passed through his mind, and no sooner than it had occurred to him, his arm had raised, and fire leapt from his hand, striking the church. The ferocity of the blaze scorched the ground near where it struck, but when the smoke cleared, the church still stood, unscathed by the firestorm. Amy still lay safely within its walls, taunting him. He raised both his hands, and called the power to him once more. This time, it came, but left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, the ecstasy tainted by his angry malice. The power rose in him and fountained out as a killing bolt of pure magical power, unshaped and unadulterated. This silver blaze swept to the church and struck with the force of a meteor, but still the church stood, unaffected. Exhausted from the effort, he collapsed.

~Narration~

Everybody jumped back as Mirius suddenly threw out his arms, and a blazing firestorm seared out, singeing Silver from his proximity. It collided with a hasty magical shield thrown out by Percival, who winced from the effort needed to stop such magnitude of power. "Call the highmage!" Percival shouted to the fox. She nodded, face ashen at witnessing a delicate balance of magics in such a confined space. If Percival were to falter….the results would be disastrous. She called out frantically in her mind, and heard the highmage answer. Turning back, she saw Percival straining to confined the flames, and felt the heat even from the distance she stood. Extending her arms, she sent power to Percival's shield, strengthening it, yet feeling her own reservoir of power decrease precipitously.

The highmage appeared in a shimmer of silver light, much like Percival's spell which teleported Mirius and his friends to this very place. Percival sighed in relief as the shield was strengthened by the highmage's sheer power. Yet they were immediately surprised as a silver blaze of pure magic blasted out of Mirius' hands, almost shattering the shield. "Solaris, he's strong." The highmage whispered, almost in awe. Then, abruptly, the magic extinguished, and the brilliance of the magical strikes faded. "I'll be off then," the highmage said softly, before slipping out with the healer. Percival sighed and poured a jug of cold water from the tap in the medical bay. He then poured it onto Mirius' face, and nudged him. "Wake up," he commanded softly. Mirius' eyes opened, and immediately he sat up, water flying off his face. "What was that for?" he demanded, his soaked quills sticking to each other. "Good, you're awake! Just so you know, you tried to electrocute the healer trying to fix you, almost burnt the Tower of White Sorcery down, and tried to kill all of us with magic. Now do you know _why_ you are dangerous?" Mirius shook his head, water flying everywhere. "And I thought it was just a nightmare…..then hurry up and train me already!" Percival consulted his phone. "Yes, I do have a phone, even if I'm a mage, I still can keep up with the times, can't I? Hm…. The closest induction ceremony will be next week, on Christmas. 25 of December." Mirius nodded. "Alright then… where's my car? Just asking if it survived. I kind of need it….especially seeing how I live on Bygone Island with them and they kind of rely on me to transport them to school. Even Tails too, seeing how he lives with Sonic and not his parents." Percival looked at them rather sheepishly. "Oh...err…. about that. Your car… kind of….. exploded." Mirius stared blankly at him. "You've got to be kidding me." Percival shook his head. "Oh no, I'm not. It actually exploded. We just chucked the scrap into the river outside." Mirius sighed. "Oh well…. Sonic? You're going to have to carry us on your back to school."

"No way! I can't do that!"

"Unless you have a spare car somewhere?"

"Well, I could just leave you all behind and run to school by myself, I mean that's possible."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Enough!" This came from Blaze. "We'll just ask Shadow for help, he's rich…really rich."

"How'd you know?!" They all chorused at once, Sonic included.

"Let's just say that I've been there a few times already…. Oh come on Silver, it was for a project that we had to do, don't you remember?"

"Whatever," Percival's voice cut in. "We can arrange for a new car to be on your doorstep in say…..three minutes. We have quite a few associates, you know. And the ability to transmute lead, iron, tin to gold doesn't hurt either."

"Wait," Mirius asked. "When we were about to crash, it was because of a black-garbed figure that looked really scary and threw lightning bolts at us. Mind explaining what that all was?"

Percival looked shocked, _stunned_ even. "A Black Robe, you say? This is bad…none have been sighted since we last defeated them and drove them to the edges of Mobius. They must have been lured by your power, and that's why they probably didn't throw the lightning bolt at _you_. They wanted you alive….this complicates matters." He half-whispered to himself. "Well, I'll teach you some magic now… defensive spells mostly. But to do this, you must first master control of your power. I won't teach theory now, there isn't enough time. You must learn to gain an instinctive control of your power, which is something naturals find easy to do. Alright let's begin."

Sonic and his friends took a seat around on the beds, watching Mirius and Percival. "Alright, close your eyes….. relax….." When he judged that Mirius was as relaxed as he could be, he continued. "Imagine this, you are in your mind, and your thoughts are floating by you….." He then reached out and took Mirius' hand. "And this is my mental self." In Mirius' thoughts, he could perceive a new presence, in the blank dim space that was his mind. _Can you hear me?_ He heard Percival's mental call. _Yes,_ he replied. _Is this how you communicate with other mages?_ Percival nodded in his mind-space. _Yes, but now we are touching. Mental communication across a distance requires more finesse._ Mirius nodded. _Alright, then teach me how to control my power._ Percival nodded. _Can you feel your power, in your thoughts?_ As soon as Percival said those words, Mirius was aware of a blinding light, that he could sense, immense in its power. _Reach for it, and try to take some. But do not let it go._ The voice of Percival counselled. Yet, even though he tried his utmost, the light kept slipping out of his hands. _Don't force it, magic is just like breathing. Relax…and will it to you._ He tried again, this time focusing his will, and _drew_ the power into his mental hand, not letting it go. _Good. Don't let it go, or it will be disastrous._ Mirius grinned wryly. _Disastrous is your favourite word, huh?_ Percival chuckled in his mind. _Of course, it keeps students on their toes. I will now break the mental link to fetch something. Be right back._ Mirius felt the presence retreat, and he opened his eyes to see Percival getting up to get a wad of paper towels. Mirius tested his powers again, drawing more from his store of power. He could feel it almost sizzle in his hands, the power straining to release, or it would burn him. Yet he held on, and experimented, focusing a little of that power to project his thoughts to Percival. _Percival?_ Percival spun around, face a little awestruck. "Did you just…?" Mirius smiled. "Yes, indeed." Percival's mouth split wide open in a proud smile, leaving Sonic and his friends somewhat puzzled. "Err… what just happened?" Sonic asked, mind not comprehending. Percival turned around, still grinning. "Your friend here is extremely talented; he just did something only taught in the fourth year of classes, mental projection!" Sonic was nonplussed, but nevertheless was happy for Mirius. "All the best, even though we don't know anything, haha." Percival returned with a heavy ceramic bowl and the paper towels wadded up and wet with water. Establishing the mental link again, this time without touching, he continued. _Take a little of that power, and channel it to the paper. At the same time think of heat, of fire. The towels are wet because I don't want to hold lava._ Mirius nodded mentally. _Alright then,_ and he directed the power he held at the paper, changing the magic to heat. The paper towels charred in an instant, the water blasting out of in a cloud of steam. Then, the paper crackled and burst into flame, the orange flames licking the side of the bowl. "You did it! You've achieved control of your powers! See, I told you it wouldn't take long!" Percival elatedly cried. "Now, to teach you other spells."

Percival continued, "See, magic is a form of energy too, and yet at the same time connected to life. This is why we can heal, and also by the fact that energy cannot be destroyed or created, we can do things like light candles. But magic can be converted to kinetic energy too, force and whatnot. See, here is a shield." He demonstrated, focusing his power into a barrier of defensive magic. "The harder you strike on it, the more power is taken to resist the strike. You can try, by focusing your power." Mirius tried, sensing how Percival had created the shield, and replicated it. A transparent barrier rose in front of him, and Percival allowed himself a small smile. He gestured at Sonic and the rest. "Go on, try to touch it, to break it down." Sonic kicked at it, a look of shock passing his face as he realised he was kicking something that seemed as unyielding as a ton of iron. "OOWWWWWW!" He yelped, clutching his bruised foot. Blaze shot streamers of fire and silver struck at it telekinetically, but all attempts merely caused violet sparks to fly without actually causing any real damage. "Alright, you can stop now." Percival said. "Defence class is over, let's now look at offense." Silver and Blaze sat down next to a muttering Sonic, who kept holding his foot. "Strikes can be force, heat, lightning, et cetera. Basically, anything that you want, even pure magic strikes. Try a force based strike." Mirius called his power to him, and shaped it into a wave of force, before sending it at Percival. The blow caused sprays of sparks to fly from his shield, and shook the beds nearby. "Hmm….. try to focus it into a straight line?" Mirius complied, channelling a stream of force at Percival. This time, the concentrated force struck a violent blow against Percival's shield, and made him slide back slightly. Sonic and his friends covered their faces from the violent winds generated by the strike. "Alright, how about a lightning bolt? You seem to like them a lot." Percival grinned at his own joke, Mirius merely rolling his eyes. He drew more power form his seemingly unending power, and used the power to charge the air, turning it into plasma, which streaked to Percival under his direction. This was basically a lightning bolt, and it filled the air with the sharp tang of ozone. "Eurgh, that's why I hate lightning bolts indoors," Percival said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Well, that seems to be about it for your lessons. Remember, 25 of December! Your friends are welcome, except for Amy." Mirius nodded. "Of course I'm not inviting her, she threatened to kill me! Thanks for the lesson Percival, and see you soon!" Percival conducted them to the exit, bringing them on a tour first of the beautiful gardens, which grew a multitude of plants needed for potions and others, all sustained by the magic. Then he pointed out the highmage's room on the top of the Tower, and led them out to the courtyards, where he bade them farewell. "Goodbye, Sonic, Mirius, Blaze and Silver! See you all soon!"

~Mirius' POV~

The foursome trudged out, and were surprised to find themselves on the shores of Bygone Island. "How did we get here? Oh, there's Amy! Hide me!" Sonic cried. Silver and Blaze immediately closed up together in front of Sonic, blocking him from view. Mirius sighed and walked on to his home, while Silver and Blaze sidled sideways, with Sonic behind them. After they had successfully hidden Sonic all the way to his home, they dropped by Mirius' home. "Hey," Mirius greeted them. "Aren't you going home?" Silver shook his head. "It's no use going back home now, Blaze will be bored." Blaze punched him lightly on the arm. "Hey, it's not me, it's you that will be bored! Besides, We won't have anything to do." Silver shook his head. "See? My point exactly." Mirius interrupted, "Hey how about we go camping this weekend? We can see Tails before we do though." _And I hope I can try my new powers on him._ Silver seemed to pick up in this. "You want everyone to go? I guess we can, one last time before school starts. I'll message the group then." Silver slipped his phone out of his pocket, but even as he typed, the sky darkened, and it started to pour. "Argh, Damnit! How will we go back to our home now? Well, you all can stay over…. I guess?" Silver sat down on the couch, while Blaze disappeared in the kitchen, her nursing skills including cooking. Suddenly, a loud _ping_ echoed through the house, and Silver looked at his phone. "Shadow said he could, cause he's free for basically forever." Mirius snorted. "Please, he always finishes all his work…even History…. Whatever then. Blaze should be done any moment soon." They were interrupted by a piercing scream from the kitchen. "Blaze!" they chorused at once.

***-Use the Periodic Table

^^^DO NOT ATTEMPT UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXPERIENCED CHEMIST….which Mirius is evidently not XD.

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Please take some time to review, it means a lot to me! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys, here's a treat! I won't be able to write for a while 'cause I'm going on vacay yay so I'm getting them out now! Try to ration if you really need this fix! XD

Thank you to all my supporters and reviewers, it means the world to me to have your support for this story and for me to have your friendship! Love you guys!

And now, on to the story! (I don't know what else to write, but if you want to talk to me, just drop me a PM!)

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~Chapter 4~

~Narration~

The two of them dashed into the kitchen, bursting in and expecting the worst. But all they saw was Blaze on the floor, convulsing in hysterical laughter, fits shaking her entire body. "AHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAH!" On the stove, a strangely empty pan lay, steaming still from the heat, little flecks of rice stuck to it. Mirius ran over to turn off the gas, while Silver picked her up, running his hands over her body, checking for any burns or injuries. "Are you alright? I can't see where you're hurt!" He asked slightly worriedly. "It's…it's…heehee…not me….ahahahah…..that's hurt, it's A…Amy! HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH!" She laughed as she gave up trying to make a coherent sentence. Silver blinked. "Amy? Where did she spring from? Solaris, are you high?" Blaze chuckled some more, tears trickling out of her eyes. "No…..she's outside….the window." Silver looked back at the stove. The window backing it was indeed open, and hissing noises could be heard from outside. Mirius peered outside, seeing Amy crouched down, hand to her face and umbrella on the floor, while she hissed in pain. White specks of rice littered the ground around her. "Oh…hahahahaHAHAAHAHAHAAHAH!" Mirius started to laugh, even as he started to realise what had happened. "Did you try to fry rice, Blaze? It seems like we won't get to eat it, Amy did!" Amy scowled at him, her hand pressed to her face still, all while the rain poured on her. "Stop laughing at me, and help me already!" Mirius giggled as he skipped to the door, Silver helping Blaze to her feet. Amy entered, soaking wet and completely pissed off at basically everyone in the house right now. Blaze was explaining to Silver, "I was frying rice, and was tossing it. I tossed it a little too hard, and it flew out of the open window, into Amy! HAHAHA!"

Mirius opened the door, and Amy stormed in, yelling at Blaze. "If you can't bloody cook, then don't!" Blaze only giggled a little while running cold water down Amy's face, washing the light burn and the rice out of her quills. Silver came back with a first-aid kit, and set it in front of Blaze, while Mirius puzzled over the intricacies of cooking. "Now hold still, this will only sting a little." Blaze said, while applying salve to Amy's face, motioning to Silver to get an icepack. "Err..Mirus? Where do you keep your ice?" Mirius, too engrossed in trying to cut ham answered, "Oh, my chemistry cupboard. I made some the other day. It's (RS)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine you're looking for right?" Silver was stunned. "What are you talking about? I'm looking for solid water not-" He froze as realisation struck him. "You made ice? The drug? That's wrong, Mirius!" Mirius looked up. "What? I make it for fun! I wasn't going to use it! It's illegal Silver! The ice you're looking for is in the freezer there." He pointed. Silver continued, while walking to the fridge. "But….but possession of it is illegal too!" Mirius shrugged. Suddenly, in Silver's head, Mirius' voice echoed. _Can we talk about this later? Not while Amy is still here?_ Silver glanced down to see Amy glaring at Mirius. "I cannot believe that you made illegal substances on the knowledge that Solaris has enabled you to obtain. Dispose of it right now! Or I'm telling our leader Tikal!" Mirius sighed. "Fine, fine, princess… even though you're not my mother." He murmured the last part. Silver pulled out some ice and wrapped it in a towel, passing it to Blaze. "Here you go, just place this against your face, until you reach home. Here's your umbrella and all your stuff. Bye!" With that, she ushered Amy to the door, and almost pushed her out. Blaze turned back and leant on the door, letting out a sigh. "Thank goodness the bitch is gone." Mirius nodded. Mirius nodded, and bent back over, trying to cut the ham into squares with a knife. Blaze walked over, and took over, Mirius sighing in relief. She chopped up the ham with inhuman speed and precision, before getting more rice and dumping it into the same pan, lighting the stove with a flick of fire from her fingers. "Is it against Solarity to use our powers, I wonder?" Blaze asked suddenly. Mirius and Silver were taken aback. "What? I thought you had no religion?" Mirius asked. "You and Silver." Blaze tossed the rice again. "Yes, we don't, but we are only a minority. The leader of the faithful, Big, is basically a hypnotist. Or a cult leader. He managed to charm so many people to follow Solaris, it's surprising that he isn't a dictator yet. But so many of our laws stem from Solaris' mandates." _Like not being allowed to love another of the same gender._ Mirius thought silently. Blaze continued, "I wouldn't be surprised if the people who go to school ostracize us for our powers: My fire, your magic and Silver's tele-whatever. Better not show them then." Silver protested. "HEYY! It's everything to do with telekinesis and telepathy….. I think? Anyways Shadow has Chaos Powers too right? Why isn't he - oh." He said, remembering that Shadow basically had no friends other than them.

"How about Knuckles? He wields the power of the Master Emerald. He is-." He managed to say before Blaze interrupted him. "Don't you notice the people who he hangs out with? Vector and Espio for crying out loud! They are the biggest bullies in the place, and I daresay they have illegal underworld connections!" Silver went silent. "Alright then, we won't use our powers unless necessary. I think our friends will understand though…except Amy. I thought Knuckles was our friend once though….he was in the same class as me in elementary school." Mirius said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Oh, it looks like hail! Blaze, you might want to close the window, the rice tossing is starting to get quite enthusiastic." Blaze shot him a dirty look, and slammed the window shut, just in time for a hailstone to crash into the glass, cracking it, causing her to jump back in fright. "Silver, help me close all the windows, would ya?" Mirius asked, running upstairs to close the windows on the second floor. Silver dashed to the nearby windows and began hurriedly slamming them shut. Thumping sounds could be heard upstairs, as Mirius frantically closed the windows. Blaze merrily whistled and hummed as she cooked in the midst of all the chaos, stirring the rice and adding whisked egg in small parts from a bowl, adding pinches of ham, while Silver ran frantically past her. Finally, the thumping and running stopped, and Mirius came downstairs, dusting his hands. "Wow, didn't have to do that for a long time. Blaze, you done yet?" Silver walked back, and laid back down on the sofa, idly checking his phone. Mirius went to the fridge, pulling open the door. "Ice lemon tea, or green tea? Or peach tea? I love that stuff." Silver without looking up replied, "Ice lemon tea, no ice please." Mirius smiled faintly. "Wouldn't it be just 'lemon tea' then?" Blaze chuckled softly from where she was bent over the stove. "Green tea for me, please." Mirius shrugged and pulled all three bottles out. "Alright then." Setting them upon his table, he extended his hand and willed three cups to him from the rack above the sink. The three cups rose unsteadily, before floating over, almost falling twice. When they finally landed on his table, he sighed, shaken from his effort. "That was even more difficult than walking over there to pick them up. The mental control I had to exert…oh my." Shrugging, he poured the drinks into the cups and left the bottles on the table, bringing the ice lemon tea to Silver, leaving the green tea on the table for Blaze. Silver took his cup with a faint "thanks," and continued looking at his phone. Mirius sat down nearby, and sipped his own beverage, eyes flicking from his phone to Silver, who seemed not to notice.

Blaze strode out of the kitchen, holding aloft the steaming pan, spatula held in one hand. "Dinner's ready!" she announced, eyes surveying the dimming living room. Mirius stood. "I'll get the lights." He walked over to the switch and relying on memory alone, flicked a switch almost invisible in the gloom. At once, the shadows were chased away by the brilliance of the light. "Ouch!" Silver gasped, hand shielding his eyes they adjusted. Blaze set the pan down on the table, and immediately straightened. "I'll need plates," she muttered, turning back to get them. But Silver just pointed in the general direction of the rack and three plates came soaring out over, depositing themselves before them on the table. "Well, you can do it so much better than me." Mirius said, pulling out his chair. Blaze slid the spatula into the fried rice, scooping out and pouring it into the plates. "Thank you, Blaze." Mirius politely said, before getting out of his chair, remembering that they needed cutlery. "I'm going senile I think." Mirius laughed as he walked over to the sink, pulling out three forks and spoons, and washing them with soap and water. He returned a while later, only to sense magic being used, and a swirl of silver light materialising above the dining table. A thick book flickered into existence, and fell on the wooden table with a heavy _thud._ Mirius picked it up. "A Beginners' Guide to Practical Magic, Twelfth Edition. Huh." Silver noticed a cream piece of paper, neatly folded, which fell out of the back when Mirius picked it up to inspect. "Hey, a piece of paper fell out of the back!" Mirius looked down. "So it did. This is all very strange." He picked up the paper, to notice words, written neatly in a small script that was almost impossible to see. He squinted down at it. "Hmm…. All I understand is the signature, it's from Percival alright. He's telling me to… read it? Do the practices in it? Hmm. Alright, but let's have dinner first."

Silver took his plate and headed off to the sofa, sitting down and placing the plate on the arm of the sofa. Mirius sat at the table, eating with Blaze. They ate in silence, as the hail pounded on the house, and the wind picked up, howling and screaming against the windows, thrashing and hurling itself against the door, battering away at it. Mirius looked up as the lights flickered. "Oh dear, the power might be going out." Blaze looked up uncertainly. "The weather is _weird_ nowadays." Silver suddenly yelped. "Hey! The internet went out!" Mirius rolled his eyes. "Great…..the antennae went out….again." Blaze just looked at Silver. "Maybe you'll eat faster now that you don't have your phone distracting you, eh?" Silver just rolled his eyes back at her, but did indeed eat faster. Mirius cleared his plate and stuck it into the dishwasher. "Alright, I'll look at this book now….if I can figure it out."

Flipping past the preface, which was basically a bunch of reason why he should read the book, Mirius reached the first chapter. "Wow, such a fantastic name…much wow." Silver leant over.

"What's it called?"

"Control of the Magic."

Silver laughed softly. "Well, it could be worse…like 'Controyle of the Magyick' or something like that." Mirius only shook his head and continued reading. "So…I'll need a candle for exercise one….be right back." He got up and left for the general direction of his garage. Minutes later, he was back, with a portable Bunsen burner. "That's not a candle." Silver observed. "How very observant of you."

Mirius set the burner on the low coffee table. "So it's basically the same exercise that I did with Percival huh? I guess it could be worse." Taking a deep breath, he turned the fuel valve. The sharp hissing of the gas being released filled the room. Making a sharp gesture, he focused his will and summoned heat to the top of the burner, igniting the gas, and the flame flickered to life, a luminous yellow. "Hmm…" He considered as he turned the valve the opposite way, extinguishing the flame. "Alright exercise two then. Oh, the use of magic to move objects!"

And so it continued, for the evening, Mirius practicing his magic while Blaze and Silver watched, offering suggestions like "Oh, try to lift the sofa!" and "How about making a shield that we shoot Chaos guns at?' Mirius was soon exhausted, and by nine, he had given up and retired to bathe and sleep. He directed Blaze and Silver to the guest room, before crashing in his own room, sleeping the sleep of the dead. Blaze and Silver, having nothing to do, soon followed suit, Blaze curling up on the only bed after successfully kicking Silver off onto the floor, where he lay in a mound of blankets.

~Shadow's POV~

He had just spent half the entire day wandering around his house, occasionally bumping into Gerald as he bustled around, pulling obscure apparatus out of storage. Finally, having given up on attempting to entertain himself, he had headed downstairs to the basement, where he honed his best physical skill: combat. "Ready, N.I.C.O.L.E?" he asked, hand already pulling out his Chaos Blade. The slim cylindrical hilt fit perfectly in his hand as he took up a defensive stance, silver blade flaring to life before him, angled downwards across his body. "Ready." Came the calm voice of the AI, as two robots stepped forward, making clicking noises as they drew their guns. Shadow allowed himself a small grin. "Set to maximum difficulty, please." Red bolts of light hurtled to him, which were turned away by his blade, angled to deflect. He took quick steps forward, to close the distance between them. His blade was set to stun, to not damage the robots, but striking them with the blade would cause their program to register as having 'died'. More laser beams flashed towards him, his instincts and skill only keeping him from becoming toast. His arm worked in a blur, the blade becoming a solid wall of silver light.

Reaching the first robot, he lashed out at it, the blade striking sparks off the metal exterior. Its lights immediately dulled, and it became motionless, while he sped past it, using a little Chaos Energy to increase his speed. On the edge of his vision, he could see more robots being dispatched against him, but he focused on the one before him. Leaping upon it, he slashed his blade across its neck violently, that had his blade been set for ordinary use, it would have decapitated the robot, and somersaulted over the falling metal body. Landing, he saw that he was surrounded, guns pointed at him and even one Chaos Blade. Lips twisting in a savage smile, he charged them all at once.

It was a dance, or so it seemed. A deadly twirl of lasers and leaps and subtle dodges, all to defend against the onslaught of metal bodies that kept pressing forward. Bolts of light crashed against his blade, barely being turned away from the sheer number and force they came in. He could only defend himself, as the tide of the battle had turned, unable to press the offensive anymore. _Oooooohhh, this is getting bad._ He thought to himself as he repelled bolt after bolt, arms tiring from the effort. Taking a chance, he hurled a Chaos Spear at a nearby robot, before dashing away, making the others have to chase him. _This should be better._ He sprinted from side to side, thinning out their ranks, spreading them out so he could take them out one by one.

Finally, he decimated all the gun-wielding robots, seeing how they had no defence against his blade. Turning, he saw the last robot, patiently standing there, with a green Chaos Blade in its hand. "Finally made one from the schematics Tails left behind, N.I.C.O.L.E?" The soft feminine voice returned. "Ah, yes. I wanted to see how you would cope against this style of fighting, and so, here it is." Shadow merely grimaced. "Well, here goes."

The robot moved impossibly fast, charging at Shadow with its blade held high, swinging in a stroke that would have bisected him from shoulder to hip. He barely dodged, the hiss of the blade striking of the floor and melting it slightly much too close to him for comfort. He retaliated, slashing in an arc to deflect the robot's blade aside before stabbing in an attempt to disable it. But not only was the robot _fast_ , it was _strong_ too. Strong enough to disregard the first slash and just push through Shadow's attempts to stab, slamming him away. Shadow barely landed on his feet, his arms aching from the amount of power he put in to block the strike. Gritting his teeth, he continued the assault, blade twirling as he tried to seek out weaknesses in his opponent's defence. But there was none; the robot was strong enough to bat aside his slashes and fast enough to still face him even when he tried to circle around him. _Me and my smart mouth for choosing maximum difficulty_. He complained mentally, although he would never say that aloud. The robot now pressed the offensive, and Shadow found himself giving ground, the robot's blows almost getting through his defences. Shadow hastily threw a Chaos Spear, and was disappointed to see it do no more than dissipate against the robot's blade. A particularly powerful strike slammed onto Shadow's blade, and although it was angled to allow most of the force to be deflected, it almost broke his wrist blocking that. He took several hasty steps back, reorganising his defences. _It is too strong and fast! How can I even beat it?_ Suddenly, the words of Gerald Robotnik came back to him, when he was being taught. _Strong and fast is one thing, but being smart is another. And smart ALWAYS beats strong or fast._ "Well, Grandfather, time to put that to the test then." He whispered to himself, lips pulling into a smile.

He took quick steps forward, bringing his own blade to block the powerful blow. Then he stepped _closer_ to the robot. _Less perpendicular distance, less moment of force._ Catching the robot's hand as it attempted to backpedal and slash at him at the same time, he thrust his blade into the robot's chest, the tip bouncing off the metal, but deactivating the robot nonetheless. "Well, you were right Grandfather…. Again." Suddenly exhausted, he extinguished his blade, and walked slowly out of the basement, leaving N.I.C.O.L.E to clean up the mess.

He came out of the basement, only to see that it was beginning to rain. "It's six already? Well, N.I.C.O.L.E, I'm going to bathe and then come down for dinner. Be right back." The AI nodded, her nanite body swirling off into the kitchen which was already bustling with much activity. Turning, he climbed up the stairs slowly, entering his bedroom. He felt a sudden buzz from his pocket, and pulled out his phone, to see that Silver had asked the group if they wanted to go camping before school opened again.

 _Silver: Hey, anybody wants to go camping before the start of school? Like the old times? Mirius and Blaze are alright with it, anyone else?_

 _Shadow: Of course, I have nothing else to do…because I finish all my homework unlike some people :P_

 _Silver: =_=_

Dropping his Chaos Blade on his bed, he pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto the ground, before taking off his pants and underwear in one motion, throwing them to the same place as his shirt. Completely naked, he stepped into his pristine bathroom that had been scrupulously cleaned by N.I.C.O.L.E's army of robots and began to undo everything that N.I.C.O.L.E did to tidy up the place. Flicking the tap, he stepped into the bathtub and stood under the shower, letting the hot water soothe his aching arms, and pour all over his body. After some time, he blindly felt for the facial scrub that he used every night, and smeared some in his hands, before scrubbing at his face, to remove the sweat and oil. Rubbing the cream all over his face, he dunked his head back into the water stream, and ran his hands across his face, washing it off. Opening his eyes, he picked up the bottle of shampoo from the rack and squirted a generous amount onto it, before lathering it into his quills, working the shampoo deeply into them, fingers massaging the soapy mixture into his scalp. He sighed in relief as he pulled at a particularly tangled spot, the shampoo slicking it and releasing the knot.

Turning around, he let the water pour into his quills, soaking them through and washing out all the shampoo, which cascaded out like a creamy bubbly waterfall. Running his hands through his now soft quills, he determined that no more shampoo remained and turned to fumble for his soap. As he pressed down on the head, the tang of mangoes filled the bathroom, and a thick yellow-orange gel squeezed out of the top. He lathered this all over his body, through his fur, his arms, his neck, his legs and between his legs. Looking up, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and was surprised to see that he had managed to transform from a black furred hedgie into something resembling a thin snowman. The effect was ruined when he stepped back into the water stream, which washed out all the foamy suds, leaving his black fur slick and shiny, while his white chest fur was slightly grey and dripping. Stepping out of his bathtub, he towelled off before walking out of his room wearing nothing but his towel.

He reached the living room, and noticed that Gerald was not there, but then again, he rarely was. He preferred to take his meals in his room while pondering over projects and calculations, eating and working at the same time. Shadow sat down on the sofa and turned on the television, while a cloud of nanites swirled towards him. "A few things have been prepared for tonight, Shadow. You could really do better to dress up….and not look like you stuck your fingers in an electrical outlet." N.I.C.O.L.E said, while covering her mouth. Shadow looked up. "Hmm? Oh I forgot to use the conditioner….oh well, whatever." He sat up, the towel falling away from him, revealing his entire body. A floating tray lifted to him. "Spaghetti bolognaise, with meatballs. And some pressed apple juice. Dessert will be served when you are done." She said, before disappearing. Shadow only looked down at himself and shrugged. N.I.C.O.L.E was only a program, not a person, and thus _probably_ had no issues with Shadow eating in the nude, which he had done for quite a while now. Leaning back, he started to eat his dinner while watching the documentaries which Gerald had subscribed to, which mostly comprised of science and the like. A particularly loud _thunk!_ startled him as the wind picked up outside, roaring its ferocity and fury, like a banshee on its period. N.I.C.O.L.E appeared again. "Oh dear, it seems like the house is taking a beating, two window panes are broken from the hail." Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Alright, so….we have to replace them, right?" N.I.C.O.L.E rolled her eyes. "Of course we do, what an obvious conclusion." She disappeared before Shadow had a witty comeback, and he just ignored her, turning his focus back to his dinner. Finishing, he set the fork and spoon on the tray, and it zipped off, returning with…..cheesecake! Enthusiastically, he devoured the cheesecake, making short work of it. Wiping the delicious crumbs from his mouth, he got up, and walked towards the stairs, N.I.C.O.L.E's 'slaves' picking up his towel and sending it to the laundry. Sprawling out on his white sheets, he quickly fell asleep.

~Tails' POV~

He had done nothing but lie in bed all day, using his computer to entertain himself. He had considered hacking into the hospital's mainframe, but decided against it. He was after all in the hospital and would need its systems to help him get better. He had hoped someone would visit him, especially since he had called Mirius, to _ask_ him to visit soon. _How long is 'soon'? For me, time passes really slowly, you know?_ He sighed. He couldn't blame Mirius, as it wasn't his fault that he had landed in hospital, neither was it fair to demand he drop everything to come and entertain him. But a small, selfish part of him thought, _Wouldn't mind that either._ He briefly fantasised what he would do if Sonic came. Now, that would be fun, just him and Sonic alone, talking just like the old times. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind. _My homework!_ He immediately began planning, trying not to freak out as the implications sank in. He needed to finish it all to keep his perfect record of handing in all his work on time. That, and his project for the Science scholarship. He desperately wanted that, to be self-sufficient so that he could still stay with Sonic and not his parents. But now, come to think of it, he wasn't sure if he would be surprised if his parents demanded he stay with them so they could observe him, seeing how his independence caused him to be hospitalised. _Maybe I'm not so desperate for people to visit after all,_ he thought wryly as he sat up. Looking down to his communicator, he quietly whispered, "M.A.I.A.". It immediately lit up with a turquoise glow, and a hologram of said AI flashed into being. "Yes?" Tails looked up, eyes flicking from corner to corner of the room, before answering. "I need my homework right now, so I can do it. Also I require the _project_." The hologram spun a little before answering. "Processing…processing…. They will be delivered to you shortly. The _project_ is, however, too delicate for transport and the parts may be lost if you do decide to transport it." Tails thought quickly. "Alright, send my homework here then. Leave the _project_ in my lab." The hologram flickered before going out, an affirmative beep the last sound it emitted.

Moments later, a cerulean glow was visible at the window, and M.A.I.A was floating there, a thick folder of papers floating in the glow of her tractor beam. Tails shrugged, indicating he couldn't move to open the window, and that M.A.I.A had to figure it out herself. M.A.I.A merely made the robotic version of a shrug and lasered her way in through the glass. "I'm going to have to pay for that, aren't I?" Tails asked. M.A.I.A considered this. "Unlikely." Tails realised that she was holding the molten glass in a globe of liquid glass with her tractor beam, and depositing the folder of papers on his bed, floated out and reformed the window with the glass, holding the liquid in place until it cooled. Now, no marks were visible apart from slight warp lines where the glass was heated. Tails shrugged as M.A.I.A flew back to the lab, and looked down at the folder that M.A.I.A had placed on his lap. Pulling out his pen and the foldable table, he began to write.

It was laborious work. His arm ached, and constantly felt like it was on fire as he penned word after word, number after number, symbol after symbol. "Errr….P equals work done over time…. Hmm Power equals current times voltage…..what on earth is the relative atomic mass of iodine?". The nurse came and left with his lunch, and late in the afternoon, the sky darkened and began to pour. He was too engrossed in his work to notice, only being disturbed by the lights turning on as the sky darkened.

Suddenly, lightning split the sky, and a blast of thunder exploded over the whole of Mobius. Totally unprepared for it, Tails screamed, throwing his pen high into the air, when it came falling back down on his head with a _thud._ As more jagged bolts of lightning flashed through the sky, he huddled back against his pillow, tails wrapped around his shivering body. He squeezed his furry tails for comfort, as he pulled the blankets close to him. _I wish Sonic was here!_ Thinking about Sonic always made him feel better, but not now. He wanted, desperately _needed_ Sonic right now, to tell him everything would be alright, to dry his tears and set things right. The lights flickered as the storm raged, lending an eerie feel to the already creepy hospital. He drew his legs up against his chest, shivering at the intensity of the storm; the fury with which it battered the whole of Mobius,

Without warning, the door flew open with a bang, and Tails barely kept from biting his tongue as he screamed in fear. The nurse walked in, slightly puzzled as to why Tails was screaming, and set his dinner down with his medicine. "Are you alright?" She asked kindly, hands reaching for sedatives. Tails shook his head, still vibrating with fear. "Well, here is something to help you sleep if you think you can't later. Bye!" She turned and strode out, the door swinging shut behind her with a slam that was amplified in the small room. Tails ate quickly, anxious to finish before the storm made him vomit from the fear. With shaking hands, he reached for his medication, downing it in a gulp, and, still trembling, reached for the bottle of sleeping pills. Taking two, he placed them in his mouth and swallowed, before drinking water and waiting. It didn't take long before his eyelids grew heavy, and despite the storm, realised he didn't care anymore and slumped back into the bed, sleeping a dreamless sleep.

~Mirius' POV~

He woke up suddenly to a loud crashing sound, as if someone had dropped an entire stack of plates, which was not entirely impossible seeing how Silver could be so adorably clumsy at time. That, or he knocked over his one metre fractionating column, which would be a pain to replace. Either way, he had to get up and check. He rose from his bed, slipping off noiselessly before opening his door.

He was greeted with a horrifying sight of what seemed to be a bush come through his roof and almost to the living room. Hail pelted his face, stinging and numbing with their sharp, cold edges. He took quick steps back as a particularly heavy chunk of ice shot past him and skittered on the floor. Looking out of his window, he realised that the tree which grew outside had collapsed onto his roof and broken it with its massive weight. He turned back to his door, and realised that the tree was blocking his way into the corridor as well as to the guest room, where Silver and Blaze were. At Silver's name, his brain instantly began think of ways to save them, to get to them. He tested his powers, and was pleasantly surprised to feel that it had been restored fully by his sleep. "Here goes nothing," he said and sent a bolt of fire into the wood.

As expected, the tree did not burn; it was so inundated with snow that the wood was soaked through. He tried lifting it with magic, and succeeded in almost causing his roof to cave in on himself. Sitting back down on his bed, he pondered the options. The roof creaked ominously, reminding him that he did not have the luxury of time to think; the roof could collapse any second. His only option would be to smash past the wood and run into the guest room. Ah, running. Something he had not need to do for a long time now.

He rose, hands sheathing in flickering silver light as he called up his magic. Focusing some of his power, he gathered the magic and formed a shield in case the whole thing came crashing down on him. He grimaced wryly. He would only get one attempt at this. Then, breaking into a run, he thrust out his hand, and silver bolts of magic flashed out, striking at the tree, shattering the wood into dust and splinters, which were deflected by his shield as he dashed through. The roof imploded, the support that the tree provided suddenly gone. Bricks and tiles rained down, as well as snow and ice from the heavens, striking sparks off his shield. He barely made it into the room, finding Silver and Blaze at the window, white-faced and fearful. "Thank goodness you're alright!" Blaze exclaimed, turning around at the sound. Mirius fell into the room, scraping his hands and knees on the wooden floor. "We've gotta get out of here, I think I broke a support column!" The whole building groaned as if in response to that statement, the house creaking in protest. "How? And where will we go? The storm is still as bad as ever, the hail isn't giving up any time soon! It's possible, but it's no use!" Silver exclaimed. "Oh shut up Silver, it's kind of pathetic when you're like that" Blaze admonished, turning back to the window. "We could climb down, your room is over my garage. Ooooh, is that the car Percival promised?" Mirius said, pointing at the sleek vehicle on the road just outside his house. "Less admiring, more climbing." Blaze said, opening the window and starting down already. "Careful, it's slippery and cold on my garage roof!" Blaze just rolled her eyes. "No, it's really warm, and I'll never fall down." As she said that, a thick chunk of icy snow fell from the roof on to her, knocking her down onto the garage, where she lay. "I'm alright!" came a cry from below. "Alright, Silver, your turn." Mirius said, turning back to his room. "I gotta get something first." Striding back into his room, he used his magic to sense for the practical book Percival had given him. _On his bedstand,_ his magic told him. Stretching out a hand, he gathered his magic again and summoned the book to him, where it flew to him noiselessly. Turning back, he walked to where Silver was climbing down.

~Narration~

However, disaster struck. The house had given up on the battle to stay upright, and Mirius walking across the floor was the last straw for the structural integrity of the house. With a groan, the house shuddered, and started collapsing inwards. Mirius felt this as a vibrating in the floor, and picked up the pace, running to where the window still lay open, and flung himself out, falling four feet and landing loudly on his garage. "Owww….." he muttered as he picked himself up and dusted himself off, only to be hit by a large hailstone, and fell back down. " _Owwww….."_ he muttered again as he slipped off the roof and ran to where Blaze and Silver stood, projecting a shield against the hail as he did so. "So what now? Shadow's house or Sonic's house? Not Amy's definitely, and Cream stays too far away in Soleanna, so we have to take many trains there. Sonic's is in walking distance but the lights are off. Shadow's further away, but Gerald is _always_ up. Believe me, I know." Silver and Mirius just stared at Blaze as she rattled off the options they had. Mirius finally broke the silence. "Err…Shadow? It's - he consulted his watch- eleven thirty, but he's a light sleeper. Believe me, _I_ know." He said, remembering their third-last camping trip, where Shadow had almost kicked him dead for going to relieve himself at one in the morning and making _too_ much noise. "Alright then. Shadow's it is. But this hail…I don't trust myself to drive in this weather." Strangely enough, the car was protected by a shield, probably courtesy of Percival. "We'll walk then." Blaze confidently said as she strode out of the shield perimeter and got hit by a hailstone. "Owww…" she muttered as Mirius walked forward with Silver. They walked through the darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of werelight that Mirius created on his fingertips. "Handy trick, that. The book taught you?" Blaze asked while walking. "Yeah… most of these I read, having no energy to practice, 'cause you decided to shoot my shield with the gun on maximum setting." The shield kept the elements at bay, even the cold, which Mirius solved by heating the space inside the shield. As they walked in silence, lightning blazed down from the sky, surprising Mirius as it hit his shield. Violet sparks flew as the shield repelled it, but Mirius hissed, looked rather worried. "This is using more power than I thought it would, and the lightning didn't help. Let's hurry." Blaze and Silver, having almost been struck by lightning, didn't argue.

The wind gathered in fury, whipping against Mirius' magic as they hurried to the causeway that connected Bygone Island to the mainland and its largest populated city: Station Square. Even there, the storm howled its supremacy over everything; over the skyscrapers, military, the MHSSA, everything. The three of them stumbled across the causeway, the waves whipped into colossal magnitudes by the winds, and the bridge shuddered, barely withstanding the forces. The violent waves sent bucket loads of water sloshing across the bridge, and threatened to sweep the trio away with its power. Mirius grimaced. "My shield won't help with the issue on slipping, but-" he was interrupted as he caught Blaze, who almost fell. "But I can use more power to remove the water from the bridge. But we might lose our shield." Silver was considering this when a large jagged shard of ice exploded harmlessly on shield right next to his head. "Err… never mind then, just keep the shield." Silver applied his own power to try to push the water out of the way, the turquoise glow lighting up across the bridge. But for each litre of water he pushed off, ten more took its place. "It's no use!" he said, tired from the mental exertion. "Hmm." Mirius considered, before walking forward. They struggled on, the water almost swamping them sometimes. Large waves would almost completely engulf them, all held back by Mirius' shield. Barely. The shield flickered sometimes, allowing some water to spray in. Mirius walked with his head low, the exertion of magic almost too much for him.

They passed a streetlight on the causeway, when suddenly, a large wave crashed into the lamp, snapping it off its housings and sending it spinning at the trio. Silver ducked instinctively, as the lamp careened of their shield, throwing off sparks and spinning away harmlessly. Mirius bit his lip, fighting to keep the shield up as the elements battered away at the protection. Each step seemed to take a decade, each wave cost more of his precious magic. Finally, they arrived on the other side, slightly wet and completely exhausted. "So…. where now?" Mirius gasped, breath coming in sharp gasps. "It should be just a little further, he stays in a rich neighbourhood which is quite far from Station Square, thankfully for us." Blaze claimed, striding off. Mirius followed, protecting them with the thinnest of shields.

Soon, the comforting lights of civilisation greeted them, the path they walking on having no streetlights despite the validity of the road, with double yellow lines and whatnot. As they turned in, they saw the esteemed Doctor Amadeus and his wife, Rosemary. They seemed slightly drunk, walking across each other's paths. Their umbrellas were held haphazardly, a slurry of snow and cold water pelting their faces. Mirius ushered them on, with the warning that he would run out of magic soon. "Third in the street, aha!" Blaze muttered, as she turned in, and pressed the doorbell. The _ding!_ echoed through the house, and soon enough, the gate opened, and N.I.C.O.L.E appeared, ushering them in. They stepped in, walking past the driveway, to the door of the house, which opened to reveal a sleepy and completely naked Shadow. "Yes?" he asked, yawning as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. His black fur hid much, his privates mostly invisible unless you were specifically looking for them. Mirius spoke first, having displayed not much of a reaction. "My house was hit by a tree, and it basically collapsed, so we kinda need a place to crash. Can we stay?" Shadow turned in. "Come on in then."

Shadow's house was _luxurious_ ; it had so much by way of creature comforts, and even mental comforts too, with N.I.C.O.L.E providing much mental stimulation. Shadow walked to his room and rolled over on one side of his _king-sized_ bed. "Woah…" Mirius gaped, mouth open. A muffled voice came from under the sheets. "N.I.C.O.L.E has two spare roll-out beds, so I'm sharing with anyone but Blaze. That means Silver or Mirius, whichever." Mirius noted that Shadow was still naked, but didn't comment. Instead he just turned around and immediately started negotiating with Silver. In the end, Silver won, but only because Mirius would do anything for him, even if he wouldn't say it. Reluctantly, he crawled into the bed with Shadow, while Silver and Blaze curled up together on the two roll-out beds. Shadow was a messy sleeper too, he realised, grinning wryly as he saw a large mound of blanket on Shadow's side and a pillow on the floor. Settling in, he pulled some blankets to him, causing Shadow to stir uncomfortably and pull back on the cotton sheets. Realising this could lead to a tug of war, which he had no desire to enter into, Mirius just rolled up in some blankets so that if Shadow were to pull, he would have to pull his whole body with it. What he did not expect was for Shadow to simply wrap his arms around Mirius and pull him in, all while still unconscious. Mirius was too tired to fight it, and just fell into a deep and soothing sleep.

The shaft of blinding sunlight seared Mirius' eyes, as he slowly woke up, and rolled over. Or at least, tried too. Shadow was still on him and he felt a damp patch on his back, and feared to think what it was. Slowly unwrapping himself, he slipped off the bed and realised Shadow had drooled on his back while he was sleeping. Standing, he slipped off quietly to the living room when he realised none of his friends were awake. Downstairs, he saw N.I.C.O.L.E perusing a small package, lifting what seemed to be a mound of fine cloth out of a parcel. "Err… N.I.C.O.L.E? Are there spare toothbrushes and clothes for me to change into? Because Shadow drooled on my back, and that's kinda gross." N.I.C.O.L.E set the mound of cloth down. "Indeed, we do have spare toothbrushes, and I think this is for you?" she said, indicating the parcel. "Shadow drooled on you? How amusing!" she chuckled as she floated off. "Any preferences for breakfast?" Mirius had started to reach for the parcel, and paused to consider. "Pancakes or waffles? Scrambled eggs sound good too." N.I.C.O.L.E nodded before floating off. Inside the parcel was a white robe, of fine linen, similar to Percival's own robe. He drew it out, feeling the small currents of magic run through his fingers. The robe was _enchanted,_ it seemed, with defensive and protective spells woven into the fabric. He stood there, admiring the silver trim and the platinum clasp, which was engraved with the insignia of a star and the trail of inscription on the edge of that clasp. The meaning of the words burned themselves into his mind: Power, to protect and nurture. So that was their principle, he thought, trailing his finger along the precious metal. Turning, he was surprised by a little robot with three toothbrushes, waiting patiently. "How long have you been here? I'm sorry!" he murmured as he took the three toothbrushes and the robot zipped off.

Entering Shadow's bedroom, he was pleasantly surprised to see that all of them were still asleep, even Shadow. He slipped off into the bathroom, moving like a wraith, so not to awaken them. The toothbrushes clutched in one hand and his robe in another, he disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door. Setting the robe down near the sink, he saw another handwritten card for him. It was from Percival, telling him to wear this for the induction ceremony. He grinned. "I'll wear it wherever I want, it's so cool!". Dropping two toothbrushes into a mug, he used one to brush his teeth before stepping into the bathtub. He was pleasantly surprised that Shadow used the same brands of soap and shampoo as he did, making bathing much more pleasant than it was already. Stepping out, he swore quietly as he realised that he did not have a towel. _Stupid, stupid!_ He thought, seeing only Shadow's towel. Suddenly, the same little robot -well they all look the same- zipped in a small service tunnel and pushed a newly pressed, freshly dried towel into the bathroom near the sink, where it lay in a lump. Seeing this, Mirius took the towel and dried himself, before wondering if N.I.C.O.L.E was spying on him while he bathed. It was an unnerving thought, and one he did not care to entertain. Drawing the sash of the robe around his now dry body, he fastened the clasp and looked in the mirror, and grinned to himself. "Alright," he said, striding out with his saliva-stained clothes held in one hand.

He immediately walked into Shadow while opening the door, Shadow barely jumping back in time to not break his nose on the hard door. "Wha…what are you wearing Mirius?" He asked, stunned at the strange dressing that his friend had adopted all of a sudden. "Explain at breakfast!" he replied, slipping past him and dropping the clothes into N.I.C.O.L.E's waiting arms. Shadow was puzzled but needed to pee badly so he just ignored Mirius and stepped into the bathroom, locking the door. A cream rectangle caught his eye, and he swiped it to look at it while peeing. "Who's Percival….and what induction ceremony is he going for?" Mirius was gently slapping Silver awake, and was surprised at what he said. "Nnnnghhh…..go away….." Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Shadow stepped out, holding a cream card. "What is going on?" he demanded. Mirius sighed. "I told you I'd tell you all at breakfast right? I don't want to repeat things." Shadow acquiesced. "Fine, but hurry up about it. Includes you too, Silver." Mirius looked back down to where Silver lay, eyes open by now. "Fine," he said, pushing himself up and walking off to the bathroom. "Be right back".

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Reviews please? (big eyes) (I'm going to put this ending in every fanfic now)


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, Chapter 5 is out, and I just want to thank everybody for their support! It's been fantastic, and I've mad some great friends here on fanfiction as well! So anyways, thanks a ton! This chapter I barely made it in time, 'cause I'm going for vacay like in two days, so I hope y'all like it, and if this is your regular fix, then ration it! And...on to the story!

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~Chapter 5~

~Narration~

Mirius rose, pulling Silver up with him. "Ooh, fancy!" Silver remarked, seeing the fine cloth draped on Mirius' body, with its silver trim and platinum clasp. The white linen shimmered like gossamer in the wind, the fine cloth hanging off his thin body. Silver noticed that he still held an article of cloth in his arm while he sat on the bed. "What's that?" Mirius looked down. "It's a cloak apparently, but I don't want to wear it just yet, it looks so overdone." Silver just giggled softly as he stepped over to the bathroom, his clothes still rumpled from sleep, his quills messed up. Mirius quietly stood too, draping the cloak over his shoulders and fastening it to the clasp. He experimented with the hood, pulling it over his head and flipping it back.

"What are you playing with, yourself?" came the voice of Blaze from behind him. "Noooo….." Mirius protested, turning around. "Silver's already inside the bathroom, and he's getting ready for breakfast." A mischievous smile spread across Blaze's face. "He usually forgets to lock his door, let's see if he did again." Taking quiet steps, they stole across the room, tiptoeing to avoid detection. Blaze's hand slowly turned the knob, and the door swung open noiselessly, startling Silver who had just completely undressed. "What the heck!" he shouted, hands covering his cock as he spun away from them. Mirius averted his eyes, a faint tinge of red tinting his cheeks, while Blaze just stood there laughing at him. "Can you leave?!" Silver yelled again, pale skin flushing crimson as he strove to hide his hard-on. "Go away!" Blaze laughed harder, while Mirius glanced back and away, turning redder by the second. Silver reached for his toothbrush and threw it at Blaze while threatening to slap her. The toothbrush just bounced off her head, and his slap missed her face to hit _Mirius_ in the face instead. "Get lost!" Blaze giggled some more before saying, "Oohh Silver's _hard_ … wonder why?" Silver blushed harder. "Get out!" he screamed, before slamming the door and turning the lock this time. Mirius glanced at Blaze, still flushed crimson from that encounter. "Maybe we shouldn't have done that?" Blaze just shrugged. "Meh…well whatever, he'll get over it, heehee."

Mirius went downstairs, only to see Shadow seated on the couch, flicking through the channels on the television, while sipping orange juice. Mirius slipped past him noiselessly, yet the Ultimate Lifeform turned his head. "Hey, how did you know I was here?" Mirius asked, certain he had made no noise. "Your….dress rustles. Plus I can sense your presence, kind of like a disturbance of Chaos Energy, but you're…..different somehow." Mirius nodded, slightly disturbed by the creepy revelation that Shadow could sense him. He walked to the table, and realised that the parcel was still not yet empty, there was something still in there. Realising the morning sun was playing tricks on his eyes, he pulled out a black version of what he was wearing, with the trim and clasp in gold this time. The note that accompanied it read, "Whichever colour scheme you prefer–Percival.". _Well then, I think I prefer black, it's sooo much cooler! And it's like, so soft!_ He rubbed his face in the midnight fabric, the black cloth soft and cool against his face. _And I think gold is a way better colour than silver!_ He slipped off into a bathroom, changing into the black robe, keeping the white one back inside the parcel. "Whoa." Shadow remarked, on seeing the drastic change that Mirius underwent. "Like it?" Mirius asked, striking a pose, blunted by the sheer volume of fabric. The robes were loose fitting, but the black made him seem thinner than he really was, cutting a stark figure in the morning light. Silver and Blaze came down the stairs, Silver still with a faint tinge of red on his face when he met Mirius' eyes. Shadow rose, and walked over to the dining table, and Mirius sighed in relief, noting that Shadow was dressed this time. Even in his own home, he was dressed in an expensive fashion, the tasteful branded fashion he sported costing hundreds. N.I.C.O.L.E appeared, with her robot army trailing and carrying all the food that the kitchen had produced. "Eat." She commanded peremptorily, the plates set before them. Shadow gestured with his hand while picking up his cutlery. "Well, Mirius, time for some explaining to do."

Mirius thought back. "Alright, it started when we left the hospital. I was driving us home, and some creep tried to kill us, first with a truck, then with lightning bolts. My car blew up." Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Mirius nodded. "Yeah, don't interrupt, it's just getting good. So, we fell unconscious and then we woke up in the Tower of White Sorcery." Shadow blinked. "What? Tower of what now?" Mirius rolled his eyes in frustration, leaving out the part where he fell on top of Silver. "Tower of White Sorcery. Where the mages there use magic for good, unlike the Black Robes, the creeps that tried to kill us with a truck. Now, quit interrupting! Alright, so I was saying, we met Percival, don't interrupt, Shadow, and then I found out I have magical potential and I decide to learn magic and Amy finds out and Percival wipes her memory and sends her home! I got that out in one breath!" While pausing to breathe in, Shadow interrupted again. "So, who's Percival?" Mirius looked up. "Oh, he's the guy that saved up by teleporting us away and then he taught me some magic before giving me this book and these robes." He indicated the book that he left beside the parcel that Percival sent. "He's the seventh archmage there by the way, so he's quite powerful." Shadow had finished his breakfast in the time that Mirius said all this, and stood to clear his plate. N.I.C.O.L.E swept by and whisked the plate away to the kitchens to be washed. "Where is Professor Gerald anyways?" Blaze asked suddenly. Shadow thought for a while. "Either sleeping or eating in his room. Well then, Mirius, what is this about an induction?" Mirius shrugged. "Oh, I just wanted to ask if any of you want to come and see my induction ceremony. It's Christmas Day, and you all are invited to come see me accept the invitation to become a mage. A student one, but close enough." Silver and Blaze nodded. "We don't mind coming! Shadow, you too?" Shadow nodded. "Alright then. Anyone else?" Mirius thought about it. "Maybe Sonic and Tails. Anyone know what Sonic is up to anyways? I kind of want to visit Tails today too." Shadow looked at the time. "We can be there by ten thirty, ten fifteen if I go crazy on my bike. And no, I do not know where is Sonic. Why don't you ask him, with Eggman's fantastic new social improvement project?" Silver was already texting Sonic, while Mirius finished his own food, after wasting all his time talking to Shadow. "He's at Soleanna, buying stuff now, and should be in time to meet us at the hospital." Silver interjected, brow furrowing. "Why is he at Soleanna anyways? Running from Amy again?" Mirius smiled faintly. "You can never tell with him, the speedster is always going places. Without us." He added sourly. "Oh, a hospital trip also gives me the chance to buy more hydrogen peroxide, my old batch went flat." Blaze rolled her eyes. "You're going to kill yourself someday with your chem." Mirius grinned. "That's exactly what Earthia, my chemistry teacher told me. She sent me so many warnings NOT to do some experiments because they were dangerous." Silver smiled faintly, Earthia being his Chemistry teacher too, although he was in a different class. Blaze was two years younger, so she had no experience with Earthia, but having seen her before, she giggled. "How did she send you messages? She's so fat, she probably holds her phone in her cleavage." Mirius burst out laughing. "We said that all the time, behind her back." Shadow reappeared, dressed in his usual style this time, disdaining his motorcycle in favour of the car. "Let's go, and stop making fun of Earthia." He said, though he could barely keep a faint smile from his face.

The four of them piled into the car, Shadow and Mirius in front. "This is a sweet ride!" Mirius exclaimed, his hands running over the soft leather seats. "Thanks, but it's actually my grandfather's, so if you ruin it, you're cleaning it." Shadow smirked at the expression on Mirius' face. "Are you really wearing these black robes to the hospital? People might think that you're a terrorist or something." Mirius grinned faintly. "They won't see me." He said, indicating the book tucked away in his robes. "And this thing has so many pockets, it's basically a bag." Shadow shrugged. "Well then. Let's go."

The car pulled out of the driveway, leaving absolutely no smoke behind it. "Ooh, science." Mirius remarked, observing the lack of pollution. "Hydrogen powered, with a solar panel on the roof." Shadow explained, pointing up. "Fancy," Mirius said, watching the car accelerate smoothly and quietly to the one hundred-fifty range. "Is this legal?" Shadow laughed quietly. "Nope, but we'll never get caught." He said, shooting past several much slower cars. Mirius nervously tightened his seatbelt as Silver and Blaze did so as well quietly. Noticing this, Shadow smirked at them. "Don't worry, I've never been in an accident…yet." "Just concentrate on the road." Mirius replied, tight-lipped. "Alright, if it makes you happy." Shadow answered, grinning widely. They had several close calls, with Shadow laughing manically as their car shot past other vehicles, with millimetres to spare. "Slow down!" Mirius yelled, as they _almost_ hit another car at two hundred kilometres per hour. "Solaris! You're going to get us killed!" Shadow only laughed harder as they sped on, hurtling across highways and roads, narrowly missing other vehicles.

Finally, the comforting sight of the hospital greeted them, the car slowing down to the nineties. Shadow turned in, screeching to a halt at the gantry for the carpark, the sudden stop jolting Mirius and Silver forward. Blaze, expecting this, was braced against the back of Shadow's seat and just grunted from the force of the sudden deceleration. Mirius sighed. "Finally…." Shadow just drove in and parked, the sedate driving a sharp contrast to less than ten seconds ago. "Here we are! Told you I've never been in an accident, right?" Mirius got out unsteadily. "Ohh…shut up, you." He said, staggering over to a pillar and leaning on it for support. "Solaris….." Shadow merely got out and stood while the three of them staggered around, waiting with a smirk on his face. "Stop…..smirking." Mirius moaned quietly, grasping Silver's hands while leaning against a pillar. Blaze fell over on the car, face pale while trying not to vomit her lovely breakfast. Mirius got to his feet finally, recovering finally, still slightly breathless. "Well, let's go find Sonic." Shadow said cheerily, prompting Mirius to try to slap him. Effortlessly batting his hand aside, Shadow just walked past them, and having no choice, the three had to follow.

They found Sonic easily enough, holding two cones of ice cream, one mint chocolate chip, the other chocolate one currently being devoured. "Who's the other one for?" Mirius asked. "Tails, it's his favourite flavour! Why do all of you look like you've seen a ghost?" Blaze grunted. " _Ask_ Shadow, why don't you?" Shadow just raised his eyebrows. "I feel fine! I don't see why you cannot take just a _little_ bit of speed." "Little, my ass!" Blaze retorted. Sonic just laughed. "Speed? He can _speed?_ " Mirius interjected, before a full-blown fight could ensue, seeing the expression on Shadow's face horrifying him enough to risk pushing between them. "Enough, you two. Anyone would think that you two were children! How did you get here anyways?" Sonic chuckled. "Easily enough. I went to buy stuff –indicating his bag - and then took the bullet train here that Eggman installed. Then, I saw this ice-cream stand and decided to buy some ice cream! Sorry I couldn't buy anymore, I had no more money." He grinned faintly as he finished his ice cream. "Let's go up, eh? This ice cream is gonna melt." Shadow nodded and turned to the elevator, Mirius muttering a short phrase before disappearing completely. "Whoa, cool! What's up with the fancy black dress, Mirius?" "Shut up." A disembodied voice floated from somewhere behind him. "Oooooh, shit, better hurry up, I see my boss and she looks like she wants somebody to do something." Blaze said, chivvying them into the elevator when it arrived with a _ding!_

"Which floor again?" Shadow asked, not having remembered where Tails was kept. "Seventieth." The disembodied voice replied again. Shadow pushed the button, and the elevator doors slid shut with a few creaks. "Someone's not been paying for upkeep." Silver observed. The elevator started travelling up, a few creaks as it scraped along the shaft. A flash of brown was visible as Mirius took out his book to read, the rustle of pages audible in the close confines of the enclosed elevator. "So when could you start doing party tricks, Mirius?" "Solaris, why does everyone ask me that?! Ask Shadow or Silver, I hate repeating myself!" Mirius burst, annoyed that the first question anyone asked was that. "So, Shadow?" But Shadow just put a finger to his lips, indicating that he would explain later. Sonic thought for a while longer. "Could you drop some hints first?" Shadow just rolled his eyes at him. This was going to be a long elevator ride.

The sudden _ping!_ of the elevator arriving at the seventieth brought a sense of great relief to Shadow, who had basically endured the verbal equivalent of water boarding. He hastily stepped out, pushing the door in his hurry to exit. Silver and the rest followed suit, with a floating book at the rear. "Which room now?" Shadow asked, anxious to get away from Sonic. "Er….7041" The floating book replied, although the voice came from somewhere above the book. "Alright, wrong way, turn around." Shadow said, and the group reluctantly changed direction. "See ya there, Shadow!" Sonic's cocky voice rang out, as he sped past, Shadow hot in pursuit. Mirius, dropping the invisibility spell, reappeared and shook his head. "Those two….and they missed the door." He turned left and opened the door, which was marked '7041'. Grinning faintly, he pushed the door open and ushered Blaze and Silver in. "Well, we beat Sonic _and_ Shadow, so we win!" Tails looked up. "Oh, hey! What are you talking about now? Who beat who?" Mirius smiled. "Well, Shadow and Sonic decided to race to your room, not noticing that the room you were in was here. So, none of them win! Well, we came to visit you, 'cause we thought you were bored or lonely. How's it so far?" Blaze was checking her phone, and suddenly squealed in delight. "Hey! Tails, you're on my roster of patients!" Tails' broke into a smile as he realised the import of what she was saying. "That's great! We can talk, and I won't be so bored!" Blaze's face fell as she kept reading. "As well as…..about a hundred and seventy patients. Sorry Tails, I might only see you during my break time." Tails just shrugged. "At least you still can see me right? Anyways…..where are the Shadow and Sonic now? They should have made one round by...now." At the word 'now', the door burst open, a cobalt blue and red-streaked ebony hedgehog burst in, the door almost falling off its hinges. "And I predicted it…..again." Tails smirked down at the two hedgehogs, who were having the shock of their lives. "How did the rest of you get here so fast?" the twosome chorused. "Magic again, Mirius?" Shadow asked, gasping down on the floor. Both of them were soaked with sweat, dripping all over the floor. Mirius just shook his head, a mocking smile on his lips. "We just used brains to decipher numbers and eyes to read the actual numbers." Shadow and Sonic growled in unison. "Why you little….." Shadow began, but Mirius merely stood there, smiling still. "How stupid do you feel now, eh?" Sonic just rolled his eyes. "What-ever. Anyways, here's your ice cream, Tails." Miraculously, his ice cream was still pristine, not even melting yet. Tails' eyes sparkled. "Mint chocolate chip? My favourite!" He tried to wrap his arms around Sonic, but winced when he did, releasing Sonic immediately. "You still not alright then buddy?" Tails grimaced. "Yeah, still not alright." Sonic shook his head. "How will you go camping with us then?" Tails shrugged. "I don't know, unless someone can get me fixed up real fast." Mirius suddenly clicked his fingers. "That's it! I can call Percival over and he can do everything, explain, fix Tails and maybe I can find out where the hell the Tower of White Sorcery is! Be right back." Mirius said as he walked out into the toilet. "Where can I use magic and not seem suspicious… the cubicle it is then."

While Mirius was off calling Percival, Sonic was pulling stuff out of his shopping bags. "Wow….. you still have time to go shopping even though you haven't finished your homework? I don't know, Sonic, this seems really risky, like a one hundred percent chance of getting killed when school reopens." Sonic just shrugged it off. "I'd rather take my chances, plus, I'd do anything for you!" Tails blushed. "That's nice of you, Sonic. What did you get me anyways?" Sonic pulled out a parachute. "For you the next time you crash." "Hey!" Tails protested, swiping Sonic across the arm. He dug in further. "New clothes for what burnt up in the explosion, and no, I didn't throw them away, the nurse did." Tails grabbed the bundle excitedly. Money was tight with him choosing to stay at Sonic's, and as such, no one realised he was the child of the esteemed Doctor Amadeus and the renowned model Rosemary. "Thanks!" he cried ecstatically, the clothes being what he wanted but had no money to buy. Sonic wasn't exactly wealthy either, and they had spent so many hours together, just walking the streets of Station Square, looking at clothes and stuff. Tails spent so much of his precious money on the maintenance of his plane, the fuel, the experiments he did, that he had almost no money for basic necessities. Sonic had stepped in, and took care of his basic needs, allowing him to continue experimenting. Suddenly, the shock set in. _The plane_. His plane, his most prized and valuable possession, had just exploded because of some freak accident, that if his religion was to be believed, had been allowed by Solaris. "Tails? What's up man? You're squeezing my hand really hard." Sonic's voice jolted Tails back to the present, and he realised he had clenched his hand into a fist at the thought of his plane being destroyed. "Nothing… It's just that my plane is…gone. And I don't have the funds or resources to build a new one." Blaze screwed up her face. "Oh…..dear." Sonic just hugged him. "Hey, it's no big deal! You're still alive, and that's what matters!" Tails just held on to him tighter, crying into his shirt, unsure if it was because of his plane, or because Sonic was with him again, close to him. Sonic rubbed the back of his head, murmuring soothing words. "There, it's alright, it will be okay…..just let it out. It will be alright." Tails sniffed, wiping his arm across his face. "Thanks." He whispered, eyes glittering with a sea of tears, but all restrained by his hero. By his Sonic. Closing his eyes, he buried his head in Sonic's chest, feeling the strength he possessed, and comforted by it. Shadow took a few quiet steps back, letting himself out silently. Blaze and Silver sat down nearby, Silver keeping his phone for once. The sobs quietened, and Tails raised his head from Sonic's chest, drying his tears. "There, see, you're alright now." Tails smiled up at him. "Any other presents?" Sonic rubbed the back of his head. "Err….. yes. One more." He pulled out a cake. "Happy birthday Tails!" Tails was shocked. How could he have forgotten his own birthday? "Thanks Sonic!" he shouted, throwing his arms around Sonic's neck, and throwing caution to the wind, kissed him in the cheek. "Err….." Sonic grinned and blushed a bright red. "It's just a cake you know right?" Tails smiled happily, shaking his head. "It's not just the cake, it's the thought that counts!"

Just then, Mirius entered, dishevelled from the running he did from the janitor who threatened to stick his mop up his anus the next time he shook his hands and sprinkled water on the floor while washing his hands. "Hey guys, what did I miss? Percival should be arriving shortly." Sonic just shrugged. "Nahh, not much. Just that it's Tails' birthday today!" Shadow entered, a small box clutched in his hands. "Oh, I just went home to pick this up. I'd almost forgotten about it. Happy birthday, Tails." Tails accepted the box, smiling as he saw that although Shadow seemed unapproachable outside, he was actually a big softie inside. "Thanks Shadow!" Shadow smiled back at him, a genuine smile that reached his eyes this time, his eyes seeming to light up. Silver and Blaze rose from their seats, gathering around. "Sorry we didn't get presents, we….aahhh….. kind of forgot." Tails just grinned at them. "It's alright, having you guys here is good enough! The people over the people's gifts!" Mirius smiled faintly at Tails. "I'm not sure if you'll like it, but I've got something for you at home. I hope you do though!" Sonic had just removed the cake from its box, and placed it on the table, thinking of ways to cut the cake. "Hey, Blaze, does the hospital have knives?" "Err…yes, but it's not a meal time now, so they are all washing. I could go get one if you want, but it's really far. Like down thirty floors that far." Sonic grimaced. "That's out of the question then. Hmm…. Can you cut the cake with your party tricks then Mirius?" Mirius thought about it. "Yeah, no problem, but I'm going to need everyone to leave the room and the cake to be placed on a magic-proof surface, 'cause I'm not sure how far it will cut through." "Oh….kay… that's out of the question then. Any solution?" Shadow unclipped his Chaos Blade from his belt. "Think this will work?" "Well, it's worth a shot." The silver blade lanced out again, the thickness meaning that much cake would be vaporised. "Well, that's a big no-no too." Tails said, staring at the cake.

Just then, the door swung open to admit Percival. "Hello everybody!" Mirius looked at Percival, raising one eyebrow. "What? Can't I say what I want?" Mirius just giggled. "Yes you can, but we'll judge you silently." Percival just rolled his eyes. "You do know that I'll be teaching you right? So I have executive control of the quantity of homework you have. So don't be mean or I'll be meaner." He said, watching the smile fade from Mirius' face. "Ahhhh…. Okay, so can you explain everything and fix Tails and get us a knife?" Percival waved his arms. "Woah...Slow it down! I'll see what I can do." He rose, fumbling in his robes for something. As he searched his robes, he spoke, "So Mirius, you like the black version eh?" Mirius nodded. "Yeah, it looks so much better than the white one, but both are pretty cool!" Percival was still preoccupied with digging in his robe. "Eh? Oh, alright then! Ah, here it is!" He said as he pulled out a slim silver blade. "I use this to cut stuff, but I cleaned off the poisonous green root juice and the snake venom from it already, so it should be alright." Mirius furrowed his brow. "Err….what? You can't use that for food!" Percival just shook his head. "Nonsense! This is perfectly clean! It's enchanted too to prevent anything from sticking to it, like poison, et cetera." Mirius just shrugged. "I still don't think it's a good idea." "Well then, you can use your magic to sense for the presence of things. Just be clear what you wish to detect. Go on, try it!" Mirius raised his eyebrows. "Alright then." He drew some of his power and focused it on the blade, sensing nothing but the enchantment that kept it clean. "I don't sense anything." He finally said. Percival smiled. "See, told you so! Anyways, I think it will be fascinating to teach you! This is the first time you're doing this?" Mirius blushed. "Yeah, but… it was simple, right?" Percival nodded. "Pretty basic, yes, but most students need to be coached through the use of it. Never mind now, let's cut the cake." He handed the knife to Tails, who took it with the glee of a child on his first birthday celebration. "Ohh…..man, I haven't had cake for soooo long! Wait, aren't you supposed to sing first?"

Everybody gathered around Tails, Shadow shuffling his feet. "So, how are we going to do this?" Blaze shrugged. "Err…..happy birth-" She started coughing as she choked on something. "Well, I'll start them." Sonic said, before drawing breath to sing for Tails. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you Tails! Happy birthday to you!" His voice was unsteady at the higher pitches, yet Tails thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world, the richness of Sonic's voice brightening his day. He pulled Sonic into a tight embrace. "Oh…Sonic, _Sonic!_ " Sonic grinned sheepishly. "Hey, it wasn't the best alright, there's no need to thank me for singing, come on!" Tails just smiled brightly as he pushed the silver blade into the cake, cutting the cake into eight slices, one for everyone.

As they sat down to eat, Sonic asked, "Alright, since I didn't ask you for all this time now, will you kindly explain why you're dressed like that, can turn invisible, and summon this guy here." He indicated Percival. Mirius shrugged, and nudged Percival to answer. Grudgingly, he obliged. "I won't repeat myself, so listen closely. I saved Mirius and all of you except Tails and Shadow when his car exploded from the efforts of the enemy, the renegade order that uses magic for evil. I did some research on them, in our histories, and found out something. They are called the Shadow, because y'know, they're creative like that. So, we observed that a person had great magical potential, Mirius, was being chased by these people, whom we haven't seen in like, centuries. Literally centuries, because we used to have more members, and drove them to the edges of Mobius, where they could do no harm. But, then, they seem to be back. And in capturing you, would have added a great power to their side." He whispered softly, eyes never leaving Mirius'. "And with their resurgence, we see more strange occurrences. Elemental demons, born of the magic and the elements, come out of hiding. Detection of sinister uses of magic. All these have never been seen before the First War of Magic, and never seen hence. But now, now they return. This is a poor time too, for our highmage to take ill. She is already old and sickness may claim her soon, before we can face our enemy again. Hmm. This represents a drastic change, and drastic measures need to be taken. I come to invite all of you to Mirius' induction, on the twenty-fifth of December, where he will assume the mantle of being a mage, charged with the well-being of the whole of Mobius. If you all so desire, come to the Tower of White Sorcery with him. It is nestled among the Green Hills, surrounded with many, _many_ trees, kind of a forest actually. Yes, Shadow?" He said, seeing Shadow raise his hand. "So why did they name themselves after me?" Percival rolled his eyes. "Really? Anyways, I'm also here to teach. Mirius, you said Tails needed to be healed?" Mirius finished his cake. "Yeah." Percival finished his too, and rose. "Well, here's some practical." _Been practising mental communication?_ Percival's voice echoed in his head. _Well, now we've got a real patient to deal with. Extend your magical senses to him._ Immediately, he could see all the burns and damage that Tails had suffered, his body a patchwork of damages. _Oooohhhh, that doesn't look pretty, Percival._ Inside his head, Percival chuckled. _Well, we should be able to do something for him then._ Drawing from his magic, he channelled some into Tails' body, focusing it on the damaged parts. He could sense them healing, and channelled more power to heal it faster. It was satisfying, to see the injuries seal up and become whole, but it was an enormous drain on his power, healing and teleportation being the most power-intensive spells that could be cast. Percival sent some of his power as well, fixing what Mirius missed.

Finally, they finished, the casts coming off to reveal smooth, flawless skin with thick golden fur. Sonic ran his hands down Tails' naked chest fur, and Tails giggled, being ticklish there. But such closeness with Sonic caused Tails to burn with a passion for him, and in that passion, something arose. Mirius could sense it with his senses and hastily shut off his mind before he could see anymore. The bulge in the sheets became more pronounced, and Tails started blushing, flushing a brilliant crimson. "Tails, why are you so red?" Sonic asked. "Err… nothing!" His voice an adorable squeak in his embarrassment. Sonic frowned. Tails was sure acting _weird_ around him lately. He ruffled Tails' head, the three bangs that usually hung down slightly mussed up. "You _sure_ you alright, bro? Surely my genius hasn't lost his marbles, right?" Tails playfully swatted his arm. "Hey, just because I'm in the hospital, doesn't mean you can make fun of me, _idiot_. Anyways, I'm alright now!"

A deep voice interrupted them. "And so, you should be fine with staying with us now at home to finish your work." Mirius and Sonic whirled around, the rest just craning their necks to see. "Mister Pro-." Mirius was interrupted by Amadeus. "That's _Doctor_ Prower to you, boy." Mirius frowned but acquiesced. " _Doctor_ Prower, what brings you here?" Doctor Prower just grunted. "I'm here to visit my son, is there a problem with that? Kindly clear the room, I would converse with my son in private." Tails' eyes flickered to Mirius, then Sonic. The message was unmistakable. _Go, just go._ Mirius nodded in agreement. _Call us if you need anything, anything at all._ His voice suddenly spoke into Tails' head. Doctor Prower's eyes flicked around the room, seeing only Sonic and friends, Percival having cloaked himself in magic. His brow furrowed at Mirius' odd choice of dress, but before he could make a comment, Mirius and friends had dashed out, to bump into Rosemary, who was carrying a coffee from the vending machine. She looked down her nose at them, purposefully cutting a path around them, avoiding them. Mirius rolled his eyes behind her back, and Shadow just sighed. "Do you really want to give Tails' parents _another_ reason to despise us?" Mirius sighed. "No, but his parents are so….. pretentious, and just complete dicks!" He clapped his hands over his mouth when he said that, seeing how he rarely swore. Percival reappeared. "Hey, language. Anyways, want to go for lunch first? We can see if Tails can be discharged after his parents leave." Mirius nodded. "Just a mo." He snuck to the windowsill on which Rosemary had left her cup. Stealthily, he withdrew a test tube of a white powder, and carefully removing the stopper, upended the whole thing into Rosemary's cup, stirring gently to dissolve everything. He slipped back quietly, silent in his movements. Sonic frowned at him. "I know we all don't like his parents, but _killing_ them isn't the answer." Mirius stared at them in shock. "When did my reputation include murder? I don't know if I should beflattered, or horrified!" Sonic blinked, while Blaze looked at him confusedly. "So then what did you put in her coffee?" Blaze asked. "Oh, it's just sodium thiopental, enough to knock her out unconscious if she drinks the whole think in one go, or make her talk like a drunk sailor if she drinks just a small sip." Shadow rolled his eyes at Mirius. "You're going to get arrested for spiking people's drinks." Mirius shrugged. "Well, if it gets Tails out of having to endure his parents, I'm up for it."

They walked to the lift, and after taking it down, they were deposited in the lobby. "Where to now?" Percival asked, as Blaze considered their options. "There is the food court, but I'm not sure if you like the food there. There is a mall nearby, but nearby is around half a kilometre?" Mirius and Silver grimaced. "Erm, I think the food court will do fine. Besides, how bad could it be?" Mirius grinned. "You'll see." Blaze answered cryptically.

Ten minutes later, he got his answer. It was _very_ bad indeed. The seats were stained with sauce, and the tables had not been cleaned in weeks. The floor had oil on it, and to make matters worse, there were children running around in the midst of people carrying food. "There is a staff lounge where I can eat in clean areas, but you can't go in. so, we'll have to make do here." They selected a table, Percival using magic to push all the dirty plates and stains to the neighbouring table. "Oooh, I never knew the table was yellow in colour!" Blaze exclaimed, Mirius laughing away. "Well, I'll sit here, and you all can go ahead first." Percival said, sitting in a plastic chair which creaked under him. "Maybe not then." He said, standing hastily. "Go on, just go ahead." He said, selecting another chair.

Mirius wandered the food court with Silver, taking in all the sights and smells, making suggestions, which Silver replied with shrugs and 'I don't know' s. Eventually, Mirius gave up and said, "Alright, how about I choose for you what you eat, so you don't need to know anything." Silver shrugged again. "I don't know." "Solaris, Silver, you make decisions as well as my grandmother! And she's dead!" Silver scratched at his head, racking his brains for the answer to a simple question: What do I want to eat? Mirius rolled his eyes. "C'mon, the sun is setting!" Silver gave up. "Okay, what are you eating then?" Mirius screwed up his face. "Erm, I was thinking Japanese, but now the western food looks sorta appealing." Silver thought about it. "Japanese." Mirius tilted his head, staring quizzically up at Silver. "Well, it's about time you started making decisions. Let's go."

The queue was surprisingly short, and within a minute, it was their turn already. "I'll have err…this number 1." Mirius told the female hedgehog manning (womanning?) the counter. Silver mumbled his order after Mirius stepped aside, forcing the attendant to lean forward. "Mumble..mumble…no onions." She frowned. "What? I can't hear a thing, kindly speak up!" Blushing, Silver spoke louder, but only barely. "Number 2, no onions." Silver shyly paid the cashier, and scurried off to Mirius' side. "Err…what happened there?" Silver shrugged. "She couldn't hear me, so I don't know… I hope she got my order correct though."

"She can't get your order right if she can't hear it."

"But she heard it!"

"Did she now? Clearly?"

"I don't know."

"You've gotta speak up, not all people wear hearing aids, you know."

"That's possible."

"Tsk…whatever, anyways, what did you get?"

"Number 2."

They were interrupted by the cashier placing two plates on a tray, and passing it to Mirius. "Wha….." Silver just shrugged again, and scurried off before Mirius could make him carry the whole thing. Sighing, Mirius followed after him, used to this.

They arrived back to where Percival was, to find that Sonic and Shadow had been faster than them again, with Blaze getting them a priority queue. Percival returned a few minutes later, passing Blaze her nurse's card back, thanking her. "Let's eat?" Sonic suggested, and all of them began to eat, picking through their food. "This pasta tastes like cardboard." Sonic complained, grimacing at the sheer blandness of the taste. "The chicken is cold inside but room temperature outside!" Both Silver and Mirius chorused at the same time. Blaze and Percival exchanged looks, and then Percival tentatively tried a piece of vegetable, while Blaze picked at her noodles in soup. Percival gagged on the broccoli, the fluorescent green vegetable disgustingly hard and plasticky in taste. Blaze almost spat her soup out. "This tastes exactly like salt water!" she exclaimed, spitting out the liquid. "Gross!" Mirius and Silver didn't have it so bad as the rice was bearable, however, the others were not so lucky. They hastily finished their food, leaving what they didn't want quickly leaving. Percival was slightly green from the disgusting lunch, and Shadow looked like he just went to Hell and back, being used to the delicious food N.I.C.O.L.E prepared usually. "Let's go have ice-cream later." Percival suggested, anxious to remove the memories of the crappy food from his mind. "Alright, but you're buying." Mirius said. "Fine, but let's see Tails first."

~Tails' POV~

He cringed silently in the hospital bed as his parents unleashed a tirade on him, a litany of his multiple sins: his recklessness, irresponsibility, damage to his parents' reputation, idiocy, and his unworthiness to bear the Prower name. He sat their quietly, absorbing all their carefully worded insults, courtesy of Doctor Amadeus' doctorate in English Literature and Language, struggling not to cry. "What a fool you are, Miles, how stupid must you be? Your pathetic mind and actions bring shame to the Prower name; it sullies that name." His father said, barely pausing to draw breath in his relentless tirade. "You will not stay with Sonic anymore; furthermore, you will cut off contact from his friends as well." His father softly said, malice in his eyes. "What? I….I can't!" His father glared at him, eyes piercing his soul. "You can, and you will." He whispered, an edge to his voice which brooked no argument. "But…but…" His father's head snapped up. "What. Do. You. Not. Understand." He said, every whispered word tight with anger. "He's my friend!" Amadeus' temper flared. "SHUT UP! WHAT HAVE I TAUGHT YOU WITH THE CRACK OF MY WHIP? NEVER TALK BACK TO ME!", he shouted, backhanding Tails across the face forcefully. In the same volume he continued, "AND WHAT HAVE I TAUGHT YOU? If you do not accede, I will beat you till you do.", his voice dropping to a sibilant whisper. Tails sniffed, not daring to wipe the blood trickling from his mouth, lest he be struck again. 'Ohhh….ohh…okay.." He cried softly. Rosemary sniffed in disdain. "How pathetic, crying like a girl!" Amadeus continued. "Shut that pathetic whining. You will return to your home as soon as you are discharged. Furthermore, as a member of the board of governors in your school, I will be cancelling your pathetic scholarship. Do not take me for a fool, boy, I know why you desire that scholarship. We will be seeing you shortly." Tails was crushed, devastated. His dreams had been stomped flat, again, by his parents, and he just sat there, numb, acknowledging every condition they made of him. His mother stepped closer to him. "Why do you even _exist_ , I have no idea. Then again, you were probably a mistake, the one flaw in my otherwise perfect life." _Mistake. Flaw. Pathetic._ All these words ran through Tails' mind as his parents continued, his mother pausing to drink her coffee.

Suddenly, she had the strangest expression on her face, and her body in an instant went limp and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Amadeus bent down. "Rosemary? Rosemary!" Tails looked down, and felt a flash of vengeance pass through him. "That's what you get, for being mean!" He savagely shouted. "SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU CUNT!" his father bellowed, ripping off his belt and cracking it across the face with it. The heavy metal buckle hit his cheek, tearing a red gash across it. He clapped his hand to his face, almost collapsing from the pain. While still blinded by the tears stinging his eyes, his father booted him in the stomach, causing him to fly off the bed and land in a heap on the ground. While he was gasping for breath, his father strode closer to him, and without hesitation, stomped on his foot, and Tails screamed out when a loud _crack!_ was heard. "SILENCE!" his father yelled, hitting him across the face with the thick leather strap of the belt, before slamming his hard shoe in between Tails' legs, in his most sensitive spot. "YEOOWWWWW!" Tails screamed three octaves higher than usual, his naked body parts all the more vulnerable. He clamped his thighs together, his hands squeezing his crotch to numb the pain, trying to breathe and not cry at the same time, and failing at both. His salty tears trickled backwards down his throat, as he tried to inhale, the bolts of lightning shooting up from his testicles causing him to shiver as he lay there, curled in a fetal position. "Hnmmmmmmm…..haaahhhhhh…." He cry-moaned while trying to get up, the faint whines from his throat soft and pathetic, even to his ears. His father spat at him. "Useless pathetic cunt…." He said while putting back his belt and picking up his wife in search of a nurse. Tails just lay there in agonising, debilitating pain, his testes feeling like they were being vice-clamped, and his stomach feeling like it was being blended. He was on the verge of vomiting out his birthday cake, and was extremely thankful to hear Mirius voice exclaim, "What in the Iblis-cursed name of Solaris did Doctor fucking Amadeus do to you!"

~Narration~

Mirius was horrified. What had Amadeus done to Tails? Why was he lying on the floor, with blood leaking from his mouth and a bloody gash on his face? And why were his hands clamped down on his privates, with a bright red mark on his balls? What the hell was going on? "What in the Iblis-cursed name of Solaris did Doctor fucking Amadeus do to you!", he shouted, furious at his father. Sonic dashed in, lifting him off the floor and setting him back on his bed. Tails still clutched at his groin, curled up and whining quietly. Sonic pried his hands off his crotch to see Tails' bruised balls and the red welt across them due to Amadeus' boot. He sucked in air from between his teeth. "Ooh that looks nasty." Blaze's pager suddenly rang. Upon answering it, she apologized. "Sorry, my boss wants me down to handle a discharging. Be right back." She disappeared from the room, taking the priority lift down to the lobby where she saw the head nurse with Dr Prower and his now conscious wife. "Hurry up, we haven't got all day. Our son certainly isn't worth our time, and he isn't worth the money that pays for the bed he sleeps on, so discharge him already." Blaze slipped her phone out, flicking it to video mode, before videoing down every last moment of it; every remark, every reason he gave to discharge Tails even before he was certified medically fit. "It is my executive decision as his father to discharge him, and besides, as a major shareholder in this hospital, it is also a wise decision to heed my words. Out with him, I say!" The head nurse sighed, evidently defeated in this. "Very well, sign here, and it will be _your_ decision reflected which took Mr Prower out of the hospital." Amadeus scowled. "He isn't even worthy to bear that name!" He scratched a quick signature, before turning abruptly and leaving the hospital with his wife in tow.

Upstairs, they were tending to an injured Tails. Mirius and Percival had no more strength for another complete magical healing, their efforts having gone to waste now that Amadeus had savaged his son so brutally. Sonic insisted on helping them, the guilt of not being there to protect him from his father evident on his face. Percival had many things in his robes, healing supplies being among them. "This salve numbs the area you apply it on, this salve fights infection, this one is good for stopping bleeding and this one is for bruising. You got all that?" Sonic nodded, his fervent need to fix Tails boosting his memory; he understood the need for it. He rubbed the numbing salve on all of Tail's new wounds, until he reached his crotch, at which he was uncertain. Blushing slightly, he spread the numbing ointment on Tails' cock and balls, feeling a strange sensation collect in his tummy and move somewhat…downwards. He marvelled at his hands, as he could barely feel them now. Sonic then proceeded to spread the blood-clotting salve on Tails' soft cheek, which was now marred with a long, ugly laceration. Turning, he spread the bruise salve onto all of Tails' other damages, all the other damages he had taken being heavy and deep bruises. Sonic leant back after finishing his work, assessing his efforts. At this point, he realised that while he had numbed his hands, he hadn't numbed his dick, and it was pressing tightly against the zipper of his jeans, a visible bulge in the fabric. He sat down, hoping no one had seen, and pulled out his phone, indicating to Percival that he had finished with Tails.

Scrolling through his messages, he realised one was from Blaze, in the group they had created, and it was a video of all things. Intrigued, he opened the file and realised it was the most scathing assessment of Tails he had ever seen, and he felt more and more incensed the further he watched. _What right does he have to call Tails these things?_ He thought furiously. _He is his father?_ The little logical part of his mind said to him. Mirius was gasping, after watching the video on his own phone. "That…. _bastard!_ " He cried, hand clenched into a fist, wreathed in the magic's silver glow. "I'll _kill_ him!" Sonic looked down. _Of course, Mirius has magic and can do something about it. What can I do?_ He thought sadly.

Then it came to him in a revelation, when searching his heart. He realised then that he would do anything, _anything,_ for Tails, to protect him, to be there for him, even at the cost of his reputation, his future, his own life even. Everything was too little for Tails, who had stolen his heart like no one had before, not even Amy. Leaning down to make it look as if he were whispering in Tails' ear, Sonic bent down beside him. "I will love you forever, Miles Tails Prower, light of my life. I will never let anyone touch you again if you don't want them to touch you. I'll never let you be hurt again. All this I promise for you, and only you. I love you…forever." Leaning down further, he pressed his lips gently to the unconscious Tails' forehead and there, he kissed him.

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Reviews please? *Big eyes.

Yeah we finally get to see the main ship in this story: SonTails! Well, buh bye, see y'all soon!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys, I'm back! With a Christmas sexual! Yes, you read correctly, a special with a lemon! For the younger readers, it's at the bottom, so you can skip it if you want (SonTails), and yes I put in a lemon so people can stop asking :3 (Give in hard, cum out soft, as someone has taught me) A huge THANK YOU! to twotailedfox for helping me make a decision to remove the little POV titles, and for all the lovely reviews, a huge THANK YOU! to Miss Marigold K! All the reviews for each chapter were brilliant and really motivated me to continue this story! (Eeeahhhh love ya!) This is my Christmas present to all of you, so on to the story!

*looking at all the people who read but don't review and silently judging.

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~Chapter 6~

Suddenly, Tails' eyes flickered open, and he moaned at the pain wracking his body. "Owie…" Sonic started backwards in shock, before leaning in close again. "Are you alright, buddy? Do you remember who I am? Your dad did quite a number on you." Mirius whirled around, phone still gripped in trembling hands. "How could he say such things?", he kept repeating to himself. "Who could be so cruel?" Tails shook his head, wincing at the sharp flare of pain near his cheekbone. "Said what? I only remember him hitting me really hard, and then I think I fainted on the floor. The burning pain in his crotch served as a reminder of _where_ he got hit, and he winced, gritting his teeth against the waves of pain.

"Wow, Sonic you really did a good job on Tails though!" Mirius remarked, inspecting the previously bloody gashes and the now dull purple bruises. "Hey, those were _my_ things you used to fix him. Give me some credit." Mirius rolled his eyes at Percival. "Alright, alright, you were fantastic. Can you stand?" This was addressed to Tails, who wore a constant grimace as he tried to lever himself out of the bed. "A…a…little….help?" Sonic rushed forward, almost knocking Mirius over, and scooped Tails up with one arm, the other lifting his legs up to distribute the weight evenly. "So, he's discharged right?"

"Yeah." A feminine voice spoke together with the sound of the door opening. "Shadow's on his way, he's in the toilet now, so grab everything and let's go." Blaze walked in, instantly turning as she saw the naked Tails in the arms of Sonic. "Err…oops?" Tails just waved his hands, dismissing it. "It's alright! Can someone get me clothes?" Blaze and Percival shook their heads in unison. "No!" they chorused.

"You need to wash off all the stuff on you later, so you will dirty the clothes."

"You need to allow some time for the salves to work, and putting on clothes might remove some of that."

Blaze and Percival glanced at each other, befuddled. "What just happened?" Blaze asked. Percival just shrugged. "Well, I could hide you with invisibility?" Mirius interjected. "WOAH! Invisibility already?" Percival gaped, mouth opened large enough to fit an orange in. "Holy shiz!" Mirius just blushed. "It's okay, I mean it's not really a big deal right?" Percival threw his hands up. "You don't even need lessons!"

"Err, hello? We need to get going, so do something with your sorcerous powers, Mister I-can-fix-all-your-problems." Percival raised an eyebrow at Blaze, who stood there, tapping her foot. "Well, go on then, and show me your fantastic new skills. Go on." Mirius stared at Tails in Sonic's arms, face creased in concentration. "Alright, here goes." He wove his hands through the air, shimmering silver light flickering at his fingertips, the magic shimmering around him as he gathered it up from within him. Slowly, Tails and Sonic faded from view as the magic took hold, the spell being woven to conceal, to create an illusion. Mirius was sweating already, the effort of weaving the spell to hide two _much_ more than to hide himself. Steeling himself, he pushed on, finishing the spell with the barest of power, Sonic and Tails disappearing from sight entirely. "Phew! That was _close_."

"Hey, let's go!" Mirius called, startling Silver out of his seat. "Okay…" He rose, pocketing his phone. Shadow was waiting outside silently, frowning as he realised that Sonic, and more importantly, the _patient_ , was not there. "Where are Sonic and Tails?" There was a small high giggle, and the typical cocky voice of Sonic suddenly blared in his ear. "HEY! I'm right over here!" Sonic chuckled, confident that he would be able to keep teasing Shadow all the way down, concealed as he was.

But he was horribly wrong. As soon as Shadow heard his voice, he had tracked Sonic by hearing, and drove his fist deep into where he expected Sonic's abdomen was. There was a sharp high-pitched scream, and a thud as _something_ fell to the floor. Mirius inhaled sharply. "Ooooh….. I don't think you wanted to hit him _there._ " Shadow frowned. "What? What did I hit? How come you can see him, but I can't?" Mirius rolled his eyes. "Uh, cause I cast the spell? And also, you'd better block." Shadow threw up his hands instinctively, catching an invisible fist. Then he doubled over as an invisible knee slammed into his gut. "DICK! CUNT!" Sonic's voice screamed at him from thin air. Shadow took three hasty steps back, before throwing out a quick sweep, sending Sonic falling to the ground with an invisible _thud._ "Err….you kinda punched Tails in the face." Shadow choked. "Say what?!" he yelled at Mirius, before being sent sprawling.

"Guys, quit it. I'm alright…. I think." The sound of Sonic running was all Shadow heard before more voices floated out of thin air. "Are you alright Tails? I'll pick you up again." Shadow just frowned. "What the hell just happened?". Scowling in confusion, he strode off to press the lift button, Blaze and Silver trailing him. Percival had absent-mindedly taken out his wallet and was counting how much for ice cream later, his back to a pillar to the side of the lobby.

"Here, Tails. Yeah, just put your arm there…..and there we go." Sonic softly mumbled into Tails' ear, while picking him up from the floor. He lifted the surprisingly heavy body of Tails up in his arm, holding him to his chest, before stepping to the elevator lobby. Feeling slightly useless, but surprised at Sonic's reaction, Mirius absently followed him.

Suddenly, he felt an arm pull him aside, into the recess of a pillar, affording some measure of privacy. He heard Percival's voice harshly whisper to him, dropping the absent-minded act to reveal the burning sharp mind the hedgehog truly possessed, his voice a mix of concern and pride.

"Do not overuse the magic. It exacts a price from you every time you use it, and the greater the power used, the greater the price, so, conserve it for when it is truly needed. This is why being a White is so dangerous. The magic tempts with promises which it cannot keep, and we walk that narrow road every day. The Shadow succumbed to its temptations and false promises, and gave themselves completely over to it, and its destructive nature surfaced in them. We are playing with _fire_ , Mirius. But we have to do it to ensure others are safe, even at this cost. We are meant to protect, and sometimes….sometimes we have to fight fire with fire. You must be prepared to give your life to this cause, Mirius. It will demand much from you. But it is your choice, and no one will press you. This is the warning I give you, before your induction. If you choose to walk this path, I promise you, I will be there to help you every step of the way. I will always be there to guide you, and if you want a friend or anything, I'll be there for _you_."

Completely stunned speechless, Mirius impulsively threw his arms around the older hedgehog, touched by his sincere desire to help him. "Thanks." Percival drew Mirius into his arms affectionately, patting his head. "There, there. Don't cry now, I don't know what to do." Mirius laughed softly. "Let's get back to them, shall we?" They returned to see a few puzzled stares, and most of the people looking at the floor, unwilling to meet anyone's eyes.

The sudden _ding!_ of the lift was a relief from the tensions in the group, and Shadow hastened in to press the buttons, grateful for the sudden reprieve. They all crammed into the lift, which was a tad too small for comfort, and Mirius ended up uncomfortably squashed between Sonic and Shadow, which made him _very_ uneasy if they decided to get into one of their arguments again. Fortunately for them, they made it down without further incident, and hurried to Shadow's car, where Mirius could finally drop the cloaking spell hiding Sonic and Tails, heaving a sigh of relief. Now that Shadow could see Sonic, he looked much more relieved. Sonic grinned sheepishly at Shadow. "Sorry I kinda overreacted there, but I was kinda your fault for punching me in the first place. Or trying to." Shadow just grunted. "Alright, now get in. I'll drive you and Tails home first, then Silver and Blaze. Mirius is staying over at my house, cause his house collapsed. Where the hell is Percival?" Mirius frowned. "I think he went to buy ice cream? Why did you suggest it to him? And thanks, by the way for letting me stay over." _Even though I didn't ask. He's really thoughtful actually._ Mirius thought, smiling wryly at the irony. _Shadow, a thoughtful person? Huh._

"Hey, wait up!" Percival yelled, running to the car with seven cones of frosty goodness in his hands. "Oh, wonderful. Gerald is _soooo_ going to kill me." Turning, Shadow yelled at the people inside his car already. "If I find ice cream in there, you're dead!" Percival distributed the cones, before waving farewell. "I'm off to the Tower, so goodbye!" Turning on his heel, he slipped into his car, before driving off quickly. Mirius slipped into the shotgun seat. "Well?" Shadow pushed the gear selector lever into 'drive'. "Well."

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Mirius hadn't had time to fasten his seat belt, and fairly flew out of his seat at the turns that Shadow made, only staying in place by bracing himself against the dashboard and the door. "Slow down!" Shadow rolled his eyes at him, but did indeed slow down, long enough for Mirius to put on his seatbelt. Tails giggled. "I've never heard you scream so high before!" Mirius flushed crimson. "Shut up! None of you ever heard that! EEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH SLOW DOWWNNNNNNN!" Everyone burst into peals of laughter as Mirius burned a scarlet red and refused to look at them.

Finally relenting, Shadow dropped the needle to the 80's range, cruising comfortably along the road, allowing them to safely eat their ice creams without sending white liquids across the insides of the car. They passed from Station Square into Central City, dodging other vehicles and even a police car. "I somehow have a feeling that the police car is chasing us?" Mirius commented, shifting in his seat to gain a perfect view of flashing red-and-blue lights mounted on a white police cruiser. "Damnit." Shadow scowled, stomping on the accelerator. Silver worriedly leant back into his seat, bracing himself with his arms. "Please don't get into a police chase, I don't need that on my records." Shadow just laughed, amused by such faithlessness. "Look who you're talking to!" he boasted, before slamming the car into a sudden turn that shot them through a narrow side road.

"Oh Solaris oh Solaris oh Solareeesssss!" Mirius' voice rose in pitch as they shot around a tight bend before speeding off crazily. "Maybe pulling over and getting a ticket _might_ be better?" Mirius mumbled, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Oh do shut up and just _trust_ me." Shadow replied, putting the car into a maze of alleyways. Mirius closed his eyes, summoning whatever scraps of power he still had, gathering it if it was needed. "Ah, nuts." Shadow sighed as he saw a police car blocking the alley. "They usually don't put so much effort in apprehending people who speed, why the sudden interest now?"

They stopped a few meters from the police vehicle, and an officer stepped out, pen and pad in hand. "Kindly show me your driver's license, sir." Shadow grinned up at him. "Alright.". He slipped his hand into his wallet and withdrew his license, handing it to the officer. "Hmm… alright. Three demerit point, and a fine." He tore the strip of paper off and handed it to Shadow, who barely had a reaction. Still grinning at the officer, he calmly held up the ticket, and tore up slowly, before dropping the shreds. "I am a G.U.N agent, idiot. And I reserve the right to take whatever action is necessary to ensure my safety and my mission. The officer snorted. "Nice try, kiddo. That's another six demerit points for disrespecting an officer, and nine for contempt of the law." He indicated the shreds of paper. Shadow just calmly drew a Chaos gun and incinerated the shreds of paper. "Move along, before I have you arrested for obstruction of an agent of law enforcement." The officer laughed, not bothering to hide his contempt at what he perceived to be a teenager lying through his teeth. "Well then, you are obstructing me!" Shadow just smirked at him, before tapping his communicator. "This is Agent Shadow; I am currently being held up by a traffic officer. Would someone kindly enlighten him on his current choice of actions and its consequences?" The reply crackled in. "Affirmative. Reinforcements should arrive about…now." The drone of a helicopter was already evident, and men were already rappelling down, all wearing uniform with the G.U.N insignia. "Well, who's obstructing who now?" Shadow smiled mirthlessly at the hapless police officer, who was currently being cuffed. "Good day to you too." He threw out of the window, before driving off.

Mirius sighed. "Was that really the right thing to do? I mean, arresting a police officer for doing his job seems kinda wrong don't you think?" Shadow just sighed. "He'll be alright, they'll just simply put him back because he had no prior knowledge of this." Sonic frowned at this, but didn't comment, just cuddling the sleeping Tails. "Oh, say what happened about that camping trip? Wanna go tonight?" Shadow considered Sonic's words. "I'm good, how about the rest?". Silver and Blaze nodded, but Mirius shook his head. "My stuff is like all at home, so I don't really know. All I have for clothes are these black robes and the white ones at Shadow's house. Shadow dismissed those concerns. "It's alright, I have stuff for you at home." Mirius looked down at his hands, a small smile on his lips. "Thanks."

They were on the causeway to Bygone Island, when Sonic exclaimed, "Hey! That's Amadeus' car!" Sure enough, it was Amadeus Prower's car, come to make good on his promise to bring Tails back to Prower Residences, the equivalent of Hell for Tails. Shadow frowned. "Surely you can sneak into the back and take your stuff? Silver and Blaze live nearby too, so I'll drop all of you off near to Silver's home. Sonic, do your sneaky thing, or do you need Mirius?" Mirius straightened in his seat, startled by the mention of his name. "What? What can I do that Sonic can't do?" Shadow rolled his eyes. "Well, for starters, you are one hell of a sneak, I mean, it's not just anybody who can just sometimes surprise me. Number two, Sonic is really fucking clumsy, just so you know."

"Hey! I'm not clum…" Shadow looked at him, daring him to finish the claim. Sonic dropped it, swallowing his own words. "Ah… okay, but then how will Mirius know where my stuff is?" Shadow put his hand to his forehead in frustration. "Oh for Solaris' sake, just tell him where to find it then!" Sonic considered it, and nodded. 'Okay….oh hey Tails, you woke up!" Tails lifted his head, still groggy from the ether he disappeared into just now. "Uhh hey…..something about camping?"

"Yeah, so Mirius is sneaking into our house to grab our camping stuff, so tell him where you stuff is."

"Oh, okay, it's in my room, in a neat orange bag on top of my shelf with my nuclear batteries and my power drills."

"And mine is in a blue bag under my bed."

Mirius turned pale at the prospect of climbing atop nuclear batteries and under Sonic's bed. "If I get cancer or something else, you had better thank me." He grumbled, sinking back into his seat, already thinking of a plan.

"Hey, is that my dad's car?" Tails exclaimed, pointing. "Uh….yeah. That's why we have Mirius to sneak around for us."

"Thanks a lot!" came the reply from the front seat. Wisely, Tails decided to shut up.

"Here we are. Silver and Blaze should be back first. Mirius, you ready?" Shadow said, parking his car quietly next to Silver's and Blaze's house. The three of them slipped out, Silver and Blaze disappearing indoors, while Mirius _seemed_ to disappear into the shadows the afternoon sun cast, slipping from tree to tree, shadow to shadow. He espied Amadeus standing on the porch and knocking furiously, before sitting down. _Ah, nuts_. He thought, while furiously thinking of ways to avoid detection. He would have to be _very_ quiet. But then again, he could be as silent as the dead if he wanted to.

He moved to the back door, a black-robed wraith slipping amongst the shadows, and eased open the back door, and entered soundlessly. The gloom of the house was a stark contrast to the bright afternoon sun, and he waited for his eyes to adjust, while planning his next step. Tails' bag was in his workshop, in the basement, thus could be easily reached with minimal chance of detection. After catching his breath, he quietly snuck to the stairs, and descended. Here, it was much darker without windows, so using a scrap of his precious magic still left to him, he lit a small glow of werelight on his fingertips, and stole down the stairs, as silent as a ghost. _Oh crap, Tails locked his door, and I need the key!_ Just then, a familiar levitating machine floated down behind him. "How may I be of assistance?" M.A.I.A asked, in a soft, low voice. Stifling his screams, Mirius collapsed on the stairs, whispering harshly to M.A.I.A. "Do you want to give me a heart attack? Solaris! I need to get into his lab to get his stuff. I'm Mirius, by the way." M.A.I.A scanned him. "Processing….processing….yes, indeed. Friend of Tails. Alright, opening the door now." Mirius winced at the sound of M.A.I.A scraping on the wall. " _Quietly_ , please?" The door scraped open, and Mirius gave up, using the last of his power to lay a silencing ward on the door, muting its screams. He heard renewed thumping on the door, and guessed Amadeus was getting impatient, and would probably break down the door soon. He quickly but quietly stole in, slinking past the engineer's table silently, before climbing up the shelf to grab the heavy orange bag. Carefully avoiding the nuclear batteries and the sharp pointy ends the drills gave him, he grabbed the bag and pulled at it. However, he underestimated it; it was so heavy, that he fell off the shelf with a loud _thud_. Gritting his teeth, he ignored his pain, climbing back to his feet, and ran up, dumping Tails' bag at the back entrance, before ghosting up the stairs to Sonic's bedroom.

Sonic's room was so….. _blue._ The wallpapers, the closet, even the blanket. Slowly advancing on the bed, Mirius was immediately disgusted to find that there was a filthy sock on the floor in front of him. Creeping around it, he got to his knees before the bed, noticing immediately that it smelled….. _funny._ Funny, as in a salt-and-something-unidentifiable kind of funny. Pushing that thought out of his head, he focused on the task at hand, which involved crawling under his bed. Wrinkling his nose, he ducked his head and slipped under.

His first thought was, _why are there so many crumpled tissues under his bed?_ Curious, he sniffed the tissues, and smelled the same weird smell as his bed, but much stronger. His second thought was, _wow, without Tails, I think this house would be a biohazard._ He saw the blue bag, and after sneezing, he grabbed the bag and pulled it out. While getting out from under the bed, he put his hand on one of the tissues, and was revolted to find his hand covered in a flaky white crust. _Ugh, I hope it's not mucus._ He hefted the bag, and stealthily climbed down the stairs, picking up Tails' bag as he went. He eased himself out of the back door, only to hear a loud, commanding voice say, "And where do you think you are going, young man?"

Mirius slowly turned around, terrified. There, behind him, was Amadeus Prower, in all his six-foot glory and that magnificent scowl that he almost perpetually wore. _Ah….nuts._ He giggled, stalling for time to try to make up plausible reasons to put him off, glancing surreptitiously at the car, where he could see Shadow pulling out a gun from his seat compartment and miming shooting Amadeus in the head while Mirius ducked. He slightly shook his head, giving Shadow pause as he desperately thought of ways to not end this in either a firefight or a dead Mirius.

"What do you think you are doing here, boy? You think you can try to sneak my son's stuff off to him?" To emphasise his statement, he dealt Mirius a ringing slap across his face, that sent him reeling, while the left side of his face burned scarlet. "Hey! What was that for?! You can't hit me!" Amadeus continued, not caring in the least. "So you are in cahoots with him? I knew he was hanging out with the wrong kind of people! Tell me, where is he?" Amadeus' voice dropped to a menacing whisper, fists clenched. "I'm not going to tell you, bitch, you just hit me!" Amadeus growled, punching Mirius in the eye, before elbowing him in the face. "I do not take backchat from you, miserable whelp with no parents!" Mirius stumbled back, falling into the grass. "Who the f-." He clamped his hand over his mouth, wincing at the split lip, determined not to swear, even at Amadeus. Shadow had smoothly stepped out of the car, and was running silently behind Amadeus Prower, while he was yelling at Mirius. "You think you can stop me from capturing my son aga–AARGHHH!"

Shadow had leapt on Amadeus from behind, jamming a taser between his shoulders, and leaving it there. "Solarisfuckingdamnit! Son of a bitch! Motherfucker!" Amadeus spewed invectives as he lay twitching on the floor, the taser still active while Shadow gently lifted Mirius up in his arms, and scooping up the bags, walked back to his car. Mirius said nothing, knowing he was perfectly capable of walking, but not wanting to. Shadow gently placed him in the car seat, and passed the bags to Sonic and Tails, who were leaning forward and looking at Mirius. "Sorry for what my dad did to you." Tails quietly apologised. "Nahh…it's not your fault, it's mine for being heard while sneaking around." Shadow loped off to the twitching body of Amadeus, who had been shocked senseless. He retrieved his taser, a satisfied look on his face as he ran back, leaving the prone Amadeus lying facedown in the dirt.

"Everybody got their stuff?" he asked while swinging into the driver's seat. Silver and Blaze walked out of their door, closing it and turning the key, Blaze carrying a lot more stuff than Silver. She dumped all of her stuff in the boot, before slamming the door and gasping for air. "Why…are you…so…..weak Silver?" She gasped out, breathing heavily. Silver shrugged. "I don't know." Tails rummaged through his bag, pulling out a small box. "Hmmm…we seem to have run out of solid fuel, and I don't have enough money to buy more." Mirius waved his hand dismissively. "No matter. I have some at my lab." Shadow drove off to the collapsed house that once was Mirius'. "Well, here we are. Knock yourself out." Mirius smiled wanly at Shadow. "Thanks." He stepped out, and headed for his garage, the only part still not collapsed. It seemed a cruel joke, the massive tree that broke his roof was now splinters, shattered by his magic. He keyed in the code to his garage, and the door slowly slid open.

Everything was as he remembered it, and he wondered why, until he remembered he had installed steel reinforcements for his lab in case anyone should attempt to break in. He had poisons, explosives, corrosive and dangerous substances here. Safety and security were paramount. Shadow had followed, electing to protect Mirius in case his roof collapsed again, and stepped into the jumble of glassware and discarded textbooks. "Oh hey, I'm just looking for it among my shelves. Hexamine…hexamine…..should be in HEX." Shadow trailed him uncertainly, giving the mysterious reinforced steel cabinet a wide berth. The shelves were labelled like a library, but it was still mysterious to him. "Hmm….napalm for our camping fire?" Shadow gave him a look that was like, _what the fuck why the hell do you have napalm and why the hell would I put it in our camping fire?_ Mirius read his face and put it back. "Never mind then. Hmm….oh, here it is! But for funsies, I'll just bring more stuff." He scurried around his lab, collecting stuff which he sealed into empty glass test tubes. "Alright, let's go." Shadow caught glimpses of the chemicals before they disappeared into the black robes that Mirius wore, and they slipped out into the bright afternoon sun, bedazzled after the gloom within. Mirius locked up the lab, before turning to walk to the car, Shadow dashing in front to jump into the driver's seat. "Seatbelts!" Shadow sang, already prepared to speed. But Mirius gave him a stare and said, "If anything breaks, you can expect an explosion." Shadow gulped. "Err….maybe not then." Mirius turned and rested his head against the window, closing his eyes to catch a quick rest as the car cruised smoothly to Shadow's home.

All too soon, they were turning in, into the driveway of the mansion that Shadow owned, and almost running over an obese bald man with an extremely long moustache. "Watch where you're going!" The fat man screamed. "Eggman?" The fat man brushed himself off, and tried to gather what dignity he still had left. "Yes, the one and only. Out of the way, please." He scooted around the car, walking off. Shadow parked the car, and entered to find Gerald holding a blue Chaos Emerald.

"That's the damned fourth one now. Ivo was digging in his robots for it, that's why he was late in giving it to me. No matter." He turned to leave upstairs, but threw a comment down the stairs. "And Shadow, stop going around naked, there's a lady here!" Shadow blushed furiously, the rest of them giggling. "Go upstairs and put your stuff. I'll fix Mirius." N.I.C.O.L.E swirled up, and conducted them to the guest room, before appearing downstairs again. "First aid kit?" she asked, the box already floating to her. "I have no idea why is Amadeus so violent, I mean, seriously, he just beat up Mirius." N.I.C.O.L.E shrugged, pulling out antiseptics and gauzes. "Well, he happens to be in charge of discipline of your school, so technically, yes, he is obliged to have violent tendencies." N.I.C.O.L.E gently dabbed at the dried blood, and applied some numbing cream to the purple bruise on his eye. "Owch." Mirius complained quietly, the alcohol stinging. "Shhh… at least it isn't hydrogen peroxide." Mirius eyes widened. "Shit!" He clapped his hands over his mouth again. "I forgot to buy more at the hospital!" Shadow rolled his eyes. "You can make stuff like that in your lab, so just do that, Mr Chemist." Mirius muttered something under his breath, along the lines of "easier to chop Shadow's dick off than to make H2O2 at home."

Shadow pretended not to hear, instead going upstairs to find Sonic and Tails engaged in a pillow fight with Silver and Blaze, with _his_ pillows. Tails looked much better, the injuries much more diminished, and the light in his eyes bright again with life. Shadow shook his head. Although he was up for his friends having fun, it was his bed, and jumping on it without permission was an _unforgivable_ sin in his opinion. Taking quick steps forward, he pulled Silver's ankle while he was in mid-leap, sending him crashing to the ground. Turning, he hit Tails across the back of his legs with the pillow confiscated from Silver, and pulled him into Sonic, causing both of them to fall to the ground in a heap. This left Blaze, who had quickly climbed off the bed when she saw Shadow walk in.

"Well, I leave for five minutes and all of you basically tear up my room. Well done." He sarcastically congratulated them, his voice terrible in its acerbity. "Hey, loosen up, we're just having fun!" Sonic grinned at him, sitting beside Tails. "Yes, how much fun would you like me to have jumping on your bed in dirty socks?" he said, pointedly looking at Sonic's socks. As Mirius had noticed earlier, they were disgusting. "And you, Silver, I would have thought you would have more sense. But noooooo, you had to act like an idiot, just like them. Tails, you too!" Shadow scolded, voice cutting in its accusations. Silver and Tails noticeably wilted under his murderous glare. "Alright, alright, we're sorry." Shadow nodded. "That's more like it."

Mirius climbed up the stairs, N.I.C.O.L.E having finished with her ministrations. He felt filthy, having fallen in the mud and had blood on his robes. He peeked into Shadow's room to see Sonic and the rest being yelled at by Shadow, before they apologised. "Uhh…am I interrupting anything? Where can I bathe?" Shadow sighed, dismissing the rest. "You can use my bathroom again." Mirius smiled faintly at him. "Thanks." He disappeared within, locking the door.

Inside, Mirius sighed. His feelings for Silver were getting stronger every day, even though he had tried to repress it, to hide it. He had a _seriously_ major crush on Silver since they first met at the start of high school, but it had progressed to such a level. He remembered how he had wanted to whack Shadow upside the head for yelling at Silver, and had to use all of his skill at acting to maintain that faint smile that he presented, inside seething with rage. He leaned against the back of the door, sighing again as he tried to rationalise his thoughts. _It isn't Shadow's fault, he had every right to do what he did, it was actually Silver's fault, so me getting involved would be wrong. But then again…._ He rose sharply, undressing. _I need a shower to clear my head._ He stepped into the shower, flicking the tap, and leant against the wall, millions of thoughts flashing through his mind in seconds. "Ah…" he leant his head back on the marble wall. "If you only knew, Silver. If you only knew." Thin rivulets of salty water ran down the edges of his eyes, trailing down his face, mingling with the water pouring onto his body. "Why? Why me?" He hoarsely whispered, not even sure who he was asking, or even _what_ he was asking.

Closing his eyes, he bowed his head into the pour of water, letting it soak into his quills, running over his face and body. His fur quickly became inundated, once white fur gone dark grey. He washed slowly, running the shampoo slowly through his soft quills and fur, using Shadow's expensive soap to wash off all the grime that he felt, although there was almost none. He scrubbed as if scrubbing harder could remove these feelings he held, all these pent-up emotions. Tikal would _definitely_ not be happy know that he felt like that, and he wasn't all that sure that _Silver_ wanted him.

"Argh!" he growled, throwing the bottle of soap to the ground in a fit of self-loathing, before punching the wall in frustration. Unfortunately, that only hurt his hand, and he recoiled, whimpering feebly. Holding his wrist only showed him his watch, and it had been half an hour since he got in. Half an hour of self-loathing. Sighing, he hurriedly finished up, letting the water drip off his body onto the bath mat, as he wrapped a towel around his slim body. As he stepped out, he realised one vital thing. His robes were still downstairs. _Fuck,_ he thought, his face betraying nothing of the curses he was yelling at himself. Looking down, he made sure the towel was indeed wrapped tightly around his body. Thankfully, the towel was long and thick, hiding much of him. He took a deep breath, before gently tapping on the door. After no one replied after about ten minutes, he opened the door a crack, and was at odds with his feelings.

Should he be thankful that no one was around or freak out at having to get out of the bathroom to get his clothes? Quietly, he slipped out, thinking to go downstairs. Or so he thought, until he crashed into Silver. "Gah Mirius – WOAH!" He saw Mirius staggering back with a towel covering most of him, and while not exactly comfortable, was less freaked out than if Mirius had crashed into him naked. "Solaris! What do you want? And why are you basically naked?" Mirius blushed violently, turning a brilliant crimson, which contrasted with his pale countenance. "Erm…can you get me my clothes from downstairs?" N.I.C.O.L.E appeared, a swirl of nanites in the room. Silver helpfully kicked the door closed, before turning to Mirius. "Err…. N.I.C.O.L.E? Any suggestions?" She gracefully gestured at the cabinets. "Take your pick from Shadow's clothes. I guarantee you, there is no urine, poop, or semen on any of them." Mirius, if it was possible, turned even redder than he already was. "Okay….Silver, please leave for a while?".

When he had left, Mirius turned around, sighing in relief. _Thank Solaris! I almost died of embarrassment!_ He quickly looked through Shadow's stuff, disappointed to find that Shadow wore boxers. "Crap." He muttered, pulling out a black shirt and long black pants. Slipping on the black shirt, he considered the choice of underwear. They were mostly grey or black, with one red one. The rest he dared not dig further for fear of messing it up. Grimacing, he picked a dark grey one, accepting that he would have to experience something new and not exactly comfortable. He slid it up his legs, around his thighs, and grimacing in unease, he drew it up around his waist. He then pulled on the black pants, intrigued at how similar his fashion was to Shadow's, but without boxers.

Looking at his watch, he saw that it was but three in the afternoon, bright and sunny out with the winter sun. It was appealing, but he realised he was far too tired to appreciate it, so while Sonic and his friends were outside, he could barely stifle a yawn. Silver was likely to be inside playing with his phone, but Blaze was far sportier. It was hard to believe that Silver and Blaze were related, but then again, it was hard for him to think that Tails could be in love with Sonic. It didn't seem to be unreciprocated though; he had caught a few hints from Sonic. He smiled faintly. _At least I could help Tails to get the man of his dreams…hopefully._ Still smiling, he dozed off on one side of Shadow's bed, where Shadow had said he could sleep at.

Shadow walked into his room to see Mirius asleep on his bed, and turned, intent on giving Mirius some privacy. He would have, if a soft moan from the bed hadn't stopped him in his tracks. "Don't go…please…" He walked over to Mirius, puzzled. His eyes were closed, but still, he was speaking. "Please….no….I don't want you to leave me!" He cried, stirring in his sleep, shifting about uncomfortably. "No….please…no….." A few tears leaked out of his the corner of his eye, confusing Shadow further. _I don't think he's talking about me, so I'll just leave now._ Turning, he walked out of the room as Mirius thrashed weakly in his sleep, hardening himself to ignore Mirius' cries. _It's his privacy I'm protecting,_ he told himself repeatedly, yet hating himself as he walked further away.

Mirius was having a horrible dream. He was at what he perceived to be a party, his friends around him, food and fun mixed in equal proportions. Yet, he had no eyes for any of that, only seeing Silver. _Silver is just so…..cute!_ he thought, drawn by both his personality and his appearance. On the outside, Silver was just simply so cute, and inside, Mirius thought that Silver was understanding, and to be honest to himself, he thought that Silver could reciprocate the feelings that he held for him. "Hey, can we talk for a moment?" He asked Silver, pulling him aside for a moment. "Err, yeah? What do you want?"

"Well, in all honesty, I just thought we could talk, as friends, or perhaps more."

"Okay…..so why out here?"

"Alright, then. Silver, do you honestly think I should _lie_ to a friend, even if not to freak them out?"

"Err….I don't know?"

Mirius sighed. "Silver, you're dodging the question."

"I don't know….."

"Very well then, but I promised myself not to lie about this any longer."

"Lie about what?"

"About this."

He took Silver's chin in one hand. "Close your eyes….for me?" Silver shut his eyes, still unaware. Mirius hesitated, before gently pressing his lips to Silver's, kissing him gently. Not pushing, not forcing anything, he just held the kiss. Silver, strangely, did not resist. He gently broke the kiss, only to meet Silver's eyes. They were full of shock. Closing his eyes, a faint trickle of tears leaking from them, he leant forward, whispering into Silver's ear. "I….love you, Silver." He was surprised by a violent shove, not expecting Silver to be so strong. He fell backwards, his dark brown eyes meeting Silver's amber ones, seeing shock, hurt and strangely, betrayal in them. "What…." He could hear Silver whisper, eyes shrouded in confusion and disgust. "No! You can't love me; you aren't supposed to!" Giving Mirius a sharp push, Silver turned around, feet pounding the pavement as he ran away. "No! Silver! Wait! Don't leave me!" If he heard, he gave no indication of doing so, only running faster. Mirius sank to the ground, clutching the wall for support. "No…. Don't go...please… I don't want you to leave me!" Tears blurred his vision, and he dreamed no more.

The sun soon set, replaced by the winter darkness at about five-thirty. Mirius slowly opened his eyes, feeling strangely heavy of heart inside, even though he had slept. He rose, walking over to the mirror to fix his quills, and to his surprise, he found his eyes to be slightly puffy. _What the heck happened to me?_ At least, his beating by Amadeus had settled itself, and it was soon time to go camping, as promised. A soft knock on the door drew his attention from his quill combing. Sighing, he went over and opened the door. "Yes?" It was Sonic and he look surprised at the state that Mirius was in. "Oh, well, we are preparing to go already, so are you ready? We leave in ten minutes." Mirius nodded. "I'll be down in five." Closing the door, he hurriedly fixed his face up, and was down in seven minutes.

He saw everyone seated around Shadow's living room, and smiled in greeting. "So, are we walking there, or driving there?" Sonic shook his head. "How long have you known me for? Obviously we're walking there." Silver sighed quietly, but otherwise said nothing. "Let's go then. Daylight's wasting." Shadow impatiently said, bag already slung over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing, tapping his foot as the rest picked up their bags. Gerald came by the living room with a glass ampoule of something, and waved goodbye at them before walking upstairs. "Your grandfather is really cool, you know." Sonic muttered to Shadow, earning a nudge back.

They set off to their destination, near the coast. As they plodded on, Silver eventually got tired, passing his bag to Blaze, who took it reluctantly but shot him death glares. Mirius noticed, but did not comment, eyes downcast as the details of his dream filtered back to him. Shaking his head to clear it, he dispelled those memories. It was a time for fun, and he wouldn't let some crappy dream ruin that for him. Tails was at his side, and soon, they were drawn off into a private conversation, Sonic being in front to guide them.

"Do you think Sonic could have reciprocal feelings?" Tails whispered, voice quiet. Mirius looked around, before drawing his refreshed magic to cloak them in silence.

"I believe so. after all, he does seem somewhat close to you." _Closer than me and Silver anyways._ Tails looked around worriedly. "That's kinda loud, you know." Mirius grinned at him. "They can't hear us. Go ahead, scream. No one will hear you." Tails' eyes widened. "COOL! THAT'S AWESOME!" No one batted an eye at them, nor even wondered what happened.

"So…do you really think that I have a chance with him?"

"Yes. Go on, ask him. Live your life to the fullest with him. I'd say you have an 85% chance of him saying yes, 100% if Amy didn't exist."

"Amy? What has she got to do with this?"

"Well, you know in church, if you paid attention to the stuff that goes around, you'd know that she has basically claimed Sonic as her own, and Tikal is perfectly alright with it. You can sit with me this Saturday, and I'll show you. But I do hope that you two get together; Amy is just really immature and self-centred, so I honestly do think that you are a better partner for him. You really are everything that she's not: you sacrifice your time for Sonic, your happiness for his feelings, your parents for him. Really, I think Sonic is even _attracted_ to you."

"Thanks." Tails said, looking down at his hands. He knew why Mirius said those things, because he had told him before, in confidence. His love ran so deep, that he was willing to forsake even _life_ itself for him, for his beloved. Mirius looked at Tails' face and knew that they would make their romance work. _If only I could say the same for myself…no stop this Mirius, this is a bad time to think about that. Help your friends first._

At the front of the group, Sonic and Shadow were having a similar discussion.

"What do you think about me and romantic relationships?" Sonic asked. Shadow snorted. "You and romantic relationships are like an asymptote and a logarithmic curve; close, but never destined to meet."

"Shads…"

"Don't call me that."

"Fine, _Shadow._ But I want your honest opinion."

Shadow looked at Sonic in the face. He was as nervous as he had ever seen him to be, and relented for his friend.

"Fine, is this about that Amy Rose?"

"Amy?" Sonic was surprised, but quickly understood. Wrong as it may be, the conclusion was logical.

"Yes, Amy. You haven't gone deaf, have you?"

"Oh…it may be, it may not."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "If you're not going to tell me the complete truth, I can't really help you can I?"

"Okay….it's about….err…Tails."

Shadow's eyes bulged. "What?"

Sonic sighed. "Yes, you heard me. It's about Tails. I think I kinda do like him, and not just for his looks, as cute as he might be. He's been my friend for _so_ long, and I'm pretty sure I know him. I think…. I'm in love with him."

Shadow looked at Sonic again, a light of appraisal in his eyes. He had known Sonic for quite a while, and knew how hard it must be for him to get all this out. That he had come to him was a mark of how much trust he had in him, and despite their little fights, they were still friends. He lowered his voice, now tinged with warmth. "I do think that you have a chance with him, you two are just so…. _compatible_. Yes, I do think so. He accepts you despite all your…..little fuck-ups, let's put it that way. And you do really care for him, so…why not tell him later? We'll afford you privacy." Shadow said, winking.

Sonic smiled, a wide smile of relief and gratefulness. "Thanks…" Shadow just rolled his eyes. "We're still friends, Sonic."

Sonic grinned. "You just called me Sonic!"

Shadow sighed. "IF you're going to be so immature about it, then maybe you should go with Amy, eh?"

Soon, they reached the coast, and decided to set up camp near the trees further inland. Sonic grinned. This was close to Bygone Island, and he knew a little clearing that he used to go to when he wanted to have a little thinking time, a separation from the world. That would be perfect for him. Shadow was clicking his magnesium fire starter, and tapping his foot while thinking of what to do next. "Alright, so we got our campsite, now do we pitch the tents first or start the fire first?" Mirius shrugged, creating a glow of light that chased the darkness away. "Pitch the tents first?"

Shadow hammered the tent pegs into place while Mirius pulled the ropes and basically fixed everything. They had already divided up the tents, and Shadow was sleeping with Mirius, Silver with Blaze and Sonic with Tails. "Fun times," Mirius sighed, reminiscing all the times they had done this before. "Now, we need firewood. Your fuel might last for cooking, but not for toasting marshmallows. Plus you can't toast marshmallows on a hexamine flame." Shadow said, pulling out his Chaos Blade. Mirius laughed. "You're going to chop trees with that?" Shadow shrugged. "Whatever works."

Mirius followed Shadow into the gloom of the forest, lighting a small glow of werelight on his fingertips to illuminate the way. Tails had his torchlight out already so when he left the campsite, it wasn't completely dark. They traipsed deeper into the woods, Shadow not wanting to cut down trees so close to their campsite. A sharp hiss stopped them in their tracks. "Did you hear that?" Shadow asked, silver blade flaring to life. "Yes." Mirius already had his hands up, a shield of defensive magic in place. He held his hand aloft, and the blaze of magical light illuminated the night, to reveal…..a tiny snake. Shadow laughed. "We just freaked out…for a little guy there?" They skirted the miniature snake, and Shadow stopped at a relatively young tree. "Here we go," he said, sweeping the blade in a flash of light. The blade cut through the wood like a hot knife through butter, passing through it effortlessly. Shadow darted to one side as the tree fell, before picking it up on one side and dragging it back to the campsite. Mirius walked in front, incinerating the snake when it hissed at him with his magic. "Coast is perfectly clear now." Shadow said nothing, dragging the tree across the ground, through the char that was all that remained of the snake.

They reached the campsite, where the rest had already set up the tents and had unpacked their stuff. Sonic stood when he saw them. "Well, it's about time!" Shadow laid the log on the ground, cutting it up with his blade, before returning it to his backpack. "Let's get cooking." Shadow said, pulling out utensils from his bag. N.I.C.O.L.E had packed stuff that was easy to cook for them, and Shadow quickly built a small stand to hold his pot, and poured firewood under the stand. Mirius poured a little grey powder at the top of the pile of firewood, and gestured at Blaze. She came forward, and cupping her hands, summoned a small flame, which she directed at the grey powder. The grey powder exploded suddenly into a sun-bright flare of white light, scorching the wood and lighting it afire. Blaze shielded her eyes, but barely from the sudden explosion of light, and was seeing spots in the dark after that. Shadow raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" Mirius chuckled darkly. "Magnesium powder. Burns extremely hot, and lights easily. Nice, eh?"

Soon, they had all cooked their food and were eating hungrily, Blaze cooking for Silver, who couldn't cook at all. Shadow had taken over Mirius' failed attempts at cooking, who had almost burned himself twice. Mirius grinned gratefully at Shadow. "Thanks." Shadow smiled back, slight blush hidden by his dark fur. "It's okay." They ate in silence, the quiet sounds of the night the only backdrop to the sounds of them eating. Sonic and Tails finished about at the same time, and after washing up their utensils in the sea, they disappeared off together, Sonic telling the rest that they would be back soon. _Should I tell Silver?_ The thought burned in Mirius' mind like a brand, searing his consciousness. Staring past the firelight, he thought he saw a flash of movement, and all thoughts of Silver disappeared. Percival had warned him, about the appearance of elemental demons, and in a place of nature, secluded to all….

Mirius suddenly stood, and sent lights scurrying into the trees, chasing away the darkness. There was nothing, but he could still sense presences out there. Shadow stood with him. "Is everything alright?" Mirius shook his head. "No, it's not. I think there are demons out there, Shadow. Demons of magic and the elements of the earth." Shadow retrieved his Chaos Blade. "Alright, we can be prepared to face them." But Mirius shook his head. "Chaos energy and magic may be forms of energy, but they are on different frequencies. The demon can pass through the Chaos energy if it feels like it, but you can _possibly_ catch it off guard if you're lucky. Any _physical_ weapons? I honestly don't know, I only read about them in my book!" Shadow dug around, coming up with only a long knife and a couple of penknives. "This is it." Blaze shook her head. "I can defend myself with fire. What kind of elements are you talking about anyways?"

"There are rock, earth, wood, fire, water, and so on kinds of demons, all formed by the magic merging with the elements in nature. No, not the elements like the periodic table. Take a knife at least, for protection. We need to get Sonic and Tails back here as soon as possible."

When he was speaking, Mirius had touched the knives and infused them with a little of his magic, imbuing it with a faint silver glow. "These will cut the demons much more effectively than the Chaos Blade even. I think, anyways." Silver and Blaze took a penknife each, hands shaking in fear. Shadow merely accepted that they were to be attacked with his usual I-can't-give-a-shit attitude. "Sonic! Come back!" Mirius called out into the night, hoping against hope that Sonic would return on time.

They did not. As soon as he had called out for Sonic, hordes of elemental demons, born of the earth and the magic, rushed into the clearing. Mirius' lights revealed them, the flame demons dancing like their namesakes, the demons of stone as immutable as the rock they were hewn from, the sand demons as ever-shifting as the beach. There were too many to categorise, and they could only fight them off. Mirius raised his hands. _So this is what Percival means by fighting fire with fire, huh._ He threw demons aside with his magic, his magic flashing brilliant silver in the night, lighting up the forest. Silver and Blaze were pinned against a tree, Blaze's fire barely enough to keep them back, fire demons simply absorbing her flame. Blaze threw her hands out, a renewed burst of crimson flame ripping through the demons, her flames seeming to harm the lesser flame demons, but not those with more power.

Silver thrust desperately with his enchanted knife, surprised that it actually cut demonflesh and sprayed their dark essence over him, staining his white fur. Throwing out his hand, he used his telekinesis to throw demons into each other, and also provide a shield against those who made it past Blaze's fire. Shadow was surprised that hand-to-hand combat actually worked, delaying them enough to slip his knife into their bodies. Mirius was a whirlwind of magic, silver light ripping demons apart, his magic shrouding him in magical protection, deflecting the demons' attacks. Yet for every one they destroyed, ten more seemed to take their place. The demons had the advantage of vast numbers, and were using it to their full advantage.

Shadow slammed his knee into a forest demon's crotch, to find no reaction when his knee collided with the wood body. "They have no testicles!" he shouted, before dragging the wood demon back and throwing him to the ground, jamming his knife into the body, and watched the magic bite deep and throw off brilliant sparks. "They are physical too, right?" He shouted to Mirius, who had just blasted a stone demon apart with his magic. "Err…yeah? I don't know, it's my first day with them!" Shadow dug through Mirius' bag. There it was, labelled as 'DO NOT TOUCH. 98% SULFURIC ACID'. "Then acid should work on them!" Shadow yelled, before splashing a little on a wood demon charging at Blaze and Silver. The acid charred the wood black as it dehydrated the compounds that the wood was made of, and the wood demon screeched in pain. Shadow scrambled forward, and drove his knife into the demon's back, falling with it to the ground. Mirius' hand went inside his pocket for a second, and he withdrew it to fling a handful of grey powder at a wood demon and lighting it with a small burst of magical flame. The magnesium flashed brilliantly, vaporising the wood and melting a nearby stone demon. "Yes, it does!" He thrust his palm into the chest of the slightly melted stone demon. Light flared, brilliant silver, and the stone demon was ripped apart as the magic danced across its body, blazing silver sunfire in the dark. "Sonic and Tails don't have the protection of enchanted weapons! I'll go find them!" Shadow was unhappy with losing one of his already small number, but agreed, leaping to Silver's and Blaze's defence. "Go!"

Sonic and Tails had left early, Sonic leading the way to his secret clearing, the route burned into his head. These strange feelings he had…they had not been so recent. They had been there before, seeds to be watered every time he saw Tails. He was always so cocky, so sure of himself, but this time, before Tails….his will turned to jelly. "Not so long now, Tails." Tails followed, still not sure where they were going. "Where to, Sonic?" Sonic winked at him, not letting up a single secret. "Not yet, Tails."

They soon reached the clearing, the opening affording a view of the night-time sky, the velvet darkness with small sparks of beauty hanging along in the sky. "Woah…" Tails gasped, open-mouthed at the simple beauty and elegance of this place. They stood in the centre of the clearing, face to face, not saying a word, just satisfied at each other's presence. "So…what did you bring me here for?" Tails said, finally breaking the silence. Sonic was silent a moment longer, drinking in the sight of his love, marvelling at how beautiful he could still be, even with the treatment he received from his parents. He saw the strength of spirit in Tails, the determination and compassion mixed in the unique way that was his Tails. His one and only Tails. Unconsciously, he had taken Tails' hands in his own, and was looking right into the beautiful sapphire eyes of his love. The eyes were clear and free of guile, deceit or hurt. They were just simply…. _happy._ And with a shock, he realised that, he too, held such feelings for him.

Tails reached up with one hand to touch the side of his face. "Am I dreaming?" he whispered, not daring to believe that his Sonic, his blue speedster could love him too. "No..not dreaming." Sonic hoarsely whispered. "I..I just want you to know…this…. That I love you, Miles Prower." The words tumbled out, structureless and seemingly garbled, yet the meaning was clear. Tails, who had desired this with all his heart for all his life, was speechless. But here, speech was not needed. Looking into each other's eyes, they could see the love they held for each other reflected in them. Tears leaked from both their eyes, mingling into a salty stream. Tails giggled softly. "I wanted to tell you, dummy." Sonic smiled, the tears running still. Without waiting any longer, Sonic took Tails' face in his hand gently, and connected his lips to Tails'. He wrapped his other arm around Tails' back, feeling the kitsune melt into his embrace, returning the kiss with the gentleness that he knew in his Tails. Their tongues played over each other, neither duelling for control, just embracing each other in their closeness. Then he felt Tails pull him in tighter in his embrace, arms wrapped tightly around Sonic's back. "I'll never let you go, Tails. I won't leave you, I won't let anything bad happen to you. Promise." Tails gently broke the kiss, burying his furry head into Sonic's chest. Tears streaked down both their faces, but soon they dried. There was not long for sorrow to linger in each other's presence, they realised.

"Well, seeing that we have some time and some privacy….." Sonic suggested, eyes lit with a slightly different light now, love still there but mingled with something else. Tails could feel his breathing quicken, his body responding. "What do you mean?" Sonic grinned at him. "Oh come on, my little genius. Use that brain of yours to make that body of yours happy, and we'll be happy together. I'm here for your entertainment." Tails had realised what it meant now, and he blushed slightly. "I…I didn't bring anything…" Sonic raised his eyebrow. "Well…what happened to the innocent Tails I knew?" Tails giggled. "Well, there are other ways…" Sonic raised the other eyebrow. " _Now_ I'm really concerned. Where is the real Tails?" Chuckling, he sat down, rolling a mat over the ground. "I came prepared anyways."

Tails undressed with Sonic, taking in his lean, strong body, while Sonic drank in the sight of Tails half-naked, golden fur and that _sexy_ expression he had on his face. Sonic reached over, fingers dragging down Tails' pants, revealing him completely to him. Tails looked down, and was mildly surprised. "I knew I turned you on, but boy, I didn't think it would be that much." Sonic looked down to see and feel Tails touching his engorged shaft, the organ pulsing to the beat of his heart. Involuntarily, he let out a soft moan. This was what he had always wanted, him and Tails, alone and open to each other. Although this kind of 'open' was more literal than he had expected. Tails was still clueless to how to get Sonic off. He started by gently wrapping his hand around Sonic's shaft, stroking up and down slowly first, before gently cupping Sonic's testicles with his other hand. Listening to the moans and gasps of pleasure was the gauge he used, stroking faster and slowly increasing his grip. _Wonder if he'll like a little mouth-work._ The thought came unbidden to his mind, but tempted him with the possibilities. _Alright then,_ he thought, ceasing his handjob, and, ignoring the moan of dissatisfaction that came with the pause, kissed the tip of Sonic's dick, savouring the mild salty flavour of Sonic's precum. Sonic gasped sharply at the kiss on the tip of his private part, and his breathing quickened. He had not expected this, and it was a welcome surprise. He moaned again, louder. The clearing was far from his friends, and was its own natural soundproofing, so anything he shouted would not reach them.

Tails lapped at Sonic's dick, tasting it, smelling it, before engulfing the head of it into his mouth. Sonic cried out at once; the heat and wetness of it too stimulating for him to bear. His breath came in sharp, heaving gasps, and he frantically ran his hands through Tails' head fur, stroking the golden bangs with stuck out from his head. "Gah….unhh…..ahh…." he moaned, the pleasure earning the kitsune several salty drops of precum. Tails gently tipped the head of Sonic's dick with his teeth, and the pleasurable shock that raced through him cause more of his precum to fairly spurt into Tail's mouth. Firmly placing his mouth on the entirety of Sonic's penis, he began to suck in earnest, and Sonic was powerless to resist the calls of his body, and soon, ejaculated. His sweetish, salty essence sprayed with considerable force into the back of Tails' throat, causing him to choke slightly, and as his mouth slipped off Sonic's penis, the rest of Sonic's cum shot onto his face, and dribbled down his chin. He licked it off his face, and waited as Sonic recovered from his somewhat violent ejaculation. "Haahh…..ahhh….." Sonic gasped, dragging deep draughts of air into his lungs, drawing the oxygen he desperately needed. Tails knelt before him, still naked, his bare hands massaging at Sonic's thighs. "Ready for your turn, buddy?" Tails nodded. Of course.

He sat before Sonic, who crawled up to him with an undeniably lustful look on his face. Sonic crawled on him, parting his thighs, and he could see Sonic's hedgehoghood dangling down under him, the flaccid penis in its sheath and the two round orbs swaying in mid-air. He could feel his body responding, the arousal evident in the stiffening of his shaft, the pale flesh glistening with wetness in the cool night air. Sonic could see his lover's foxhood now, and gently caressed it. Tails, whose privacy had never been breached in such a way before, stiffened, and emitted a soft cry of pleasure.

While he was rubbing at Tails' crotch, he was suddenly thrown aside by a large mass of…wood? He heard a loud cry as he flew off Tails, before a sudden burst of silver light shattered the wood thing that tackled him, and his vision cleared to see a pale-faced Mirius standing before them in the clearing. "I came to save you, because OH SOLARIS TAILS YOU HAVE CUM ON YOUR FACE! WHY ARE YOU TWO NAKED?!" Sonic looked down to see his private parts on full display, and attempted to cover them with one hand. "It's nothing. You were saying something?" Mirius composed himself, and continued, "There are creatures of magic and earth roaming this place. You are lucky that I got you in time, and I left the others to save you. Can you two get your clothes on and help?" While he spoke, Mirius' eyes never seemed to stay in one place, roving around, looking for danger. Tails and Sonic hurriedly got into their clothes, and Tails wiped the semen off his face. Mirius had by then cut two thick sturdy branches and cut them into sticks, which he infused with his magic. "These can hurt the demons. Now follow me back." He said, striding off into the dark, a silver light flaring at his fingertips to light the way. Tails and Sonic took the enchanted sticks, and followed suit.

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Please review, it means a lot to me! *Big eyes*

We can talk here too, right? Yay. Anyways, I had to wash my eyes out with bleach after writing that lemon, sooooo yeah. (The things I do for my readers.) Please follow and fav too! I'm gonna try to put up a few more chapters before school starts again in Feb, so yes, I'm continuing this fantasy/adventure/romance story *cheers*


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys, I'm back! Couldn't write in a while cause parents (ugh) and a church camp (ohmygod kill me now please). But I'm back, and no, no lemon this time. But more story! Hope you guys enjoy this! Merry Christmas and a happy new year and all that fun stuff whatever on to the story (I'm great fun at family gatherings :p)

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~Chapter 7~

Mirius refused to look directly at them as they ran back to the campsite, his magic brilliant silver flashes in the night as he sent demons spinning away into the gloom of the forest.

"Hurry!" he cried, slim figure slipping past trees easily, black clothes blending into the darkness of the forest. "Ah!" Tails cried out, falling as a wood demon tackled him, slamming into him with its hard, unyielding body. Mirius whirled around, and a lance of silver light from his hands struck the demon, slamming it away as Tails regained his feet. Sonic leaped forward, sweeping his enchanted stick, and watched in amazement as sparks exploded along its length as it struck a stone demon, and the demon wailed in pain as the coruscating magic sent it flying aside as if it were no more than a doll. Tails batted a muddy-looking demon, and the demon spun away into the night, trailing silver sparks. "We are close!" Mirius urged, throwing up a shield that halted a stone demon's fist mere inches from his head. Tails jumped to the side and struck the stone demon with his stick, but it seemed undeterred from its task of crushing Mirius. The blaze of magic in the air as Tails hit it over and over again was evident, but it did not falter. "Sonic!" Tails cried, the rush of using magic evident in the strain in his voice. It was indeed addictive in its power.

Mirius suddenly dropped the shield, leaping back as the stone demon barrelled forward at him, intent on killing him. He braced himself, and, augmenting his strength with the magic, _caught_ the stone demon's fist.

Mirius grimaced at the strain it was taking on him, and the great cost of magic it was taking. Magic or not, the strength of a stone demon was legendary, and almost nothing can stop them, the shattered tree trunks around them testament to their great power. Focusing his mind, he sent the magic lancing into the demon, the silver light ripping through the stone demon, flaring as it shattered the rock as if it were no more than glass. Staggering to his feet, he dashed forward again, Sonic and Tails hot in pursuit.

They burst into the clearing suddenly, to see Shadow jumping on the heads of demons and sticking his knife in, while Silver and Blaze were still against a tree. Mirius announced their presence with an explosion of silver light that immolated an enormous demon made of….metal ore? Shadow leapt from its head and landed, rolling to absorb the impact.

"Thanks for the help. We almost thought you had died, especially after that big one came." Sonic laughed. "I can't die!" Shadow rolled his eyes. "Whatever, faker." Mirius dashed in front of Silver and Blaze, destroying a stone demon that seemed immune to her flame and Silver's knife could barely touch it. His clothes torn and slightly bloody, Mirius turned to Shadow. "Sorry about the clothes. It seems like there are less of them…..oh."

Shadow looked to where Mirius was looking. There, was a shifting shadow, in a vaguely humanoid shape. "Of all things, I would have thought…. that we wouldn't see shadow demons." Mirius said, sighing with resignation. Shadow stood in front of Mirius protectively. Not taking his eyes off the creature, knife twirling in lazy, hypnotic patterns, he asked, "Is there anything we can do? There doesn't seem to be any other demons." Mirius shook his head. "This is a creature of magic and shadow, Shadow. You could _probably_ hurt it with the enchanted weapons, but it will likely _kill_ you first. Damnit."

It swirled forward, a shifting shadow of indistinct boundaries. He sighed. "Well then, stay back, unless it seems like I _really_ need help." _Which I probably will,_ he thought silently, his face betraying nothing of his thoughts. He stepped forward, hands alight with the magic's silver glow. _I really wish I had my robes,_ he suddenly thought, remembering the defensive magic woven into the fabric.

The shadow demon stepped forward, and the clearing dimmed, the fire sputtering. The two combatants were still, then, suddenly, warned by the magic, Mirius threw up a blaze of silver light, blasting at the shadow demon as it sprang at him, faster than the eye could follow, save for Sonic and Shadow, who were used to seeing at high speeds. Silver light flared and sizzled amidst living shadow, and the demon screamed its pain at the night sky. They could see Mirius locked in a tussle with the demon, magic shielding him from the demon and scorching at its black demonflesh.

However, the demon was far too powerful to be thwarted simply like that. The darkness surged against Mirius' magic, smothering the brilliant blaze, and clawed at his defences, eroding them like ice in a furnace. Mirius slipped to the side, dodging a spray of dark magic, and thrust his hands into the demon's back, hammering at it with the light. The demon merely caught his arms, the dark magic eating into the aura of protective magic, forcing Mirius to focus on defence, and giving the shadow time to recover. Mirius, already weakened from fighting earlier, gave ground, step by step as the demon drove him towards his friends. The demon's face split into a snarl of victory, sensing Mirius' weakness.

Reaching deep inside him for one last burst of power, Mirius' face was set in lines of raw determination, as his arms locked with the demon, his hands gripping the demon in an effort to hold him still, and turned all his power against the demon. Yet his failing magic was already weakened, and against the power of the shadow demon, was shattered harmlessly, and it hurled him into his friends, where he crashed into a tree. He cried out as he collided painfully with the unforgiving wood, and slid to the ground, unmoving.

Shadow stepped forward, taking the enchanted length of wood from Tails in his right hand, and the enchanted knife in his left, he crouched before the demon, before springing forward. The stick struck the demon in a flash of silver light, the magic lighting up the night as they duelled.

 _Stick, knife, stick, knife._ Shadow said in his head as he fought the demon, the magic of the weapons flaring against the demon. Yet he could barely dodge or block the attacks of the demon, while the demon seemed less than unaffected. It had even _caught_ the stick, and while the magic had blazed brilliantly against the demon, it had barely reacted to it, its dark magic running down the length of the wood, overcoming Mirius' magic and leaving the stick a black length of charcoal, which it had snapped, slowly and deliberately, to taunt and mock Shadow. Now he only had the knife.

"Fuck." Shadow spat, knife held up before him, yet he knew such pathetic weapons would barely aid in this fight. Sonic was creeping around it, to try and surprise the demon, but a sharp _crack!_ of a branch breaking made his efforts futile as the demon whirled around and blasted him with its dark magic. He staggered, the magic blocking the shadow demon's attack, but barely. He charged forward, speeding past the demon before it could catch him, and struck it with such force that the feedback of magic lit up the night sky with a blazing flash. The shadow demon stumbled backwards, black arm already whipping forward to catch Sonic. He felt a rush of cold as it barely touched him, and batted the arm aside with the stick, causing another flash of silver magic. Mirius had gotten up by now, and reaching into his backpack, pulled out a test tube of magnesium powder. He flung this at the demon's back, gesturing at Blaze to light it.

The sudden _whoomph!_ of the magnesium igniting created a blaze of light so intense, that everyone shielded their eyes as the demon screeched its searing excruciating agony, the heat charring it, but barely hurting it. It was barely a distraction, and Mirius knew it too. It took one step towards Mirius, eyes murderous with hate, and Mirius backed away slowly. "Uh, I think I made it angry." Another step, and it was almost before Mirius. And before it could take another step, a flash of silver light collided with it, slamming it away. "Get away from him!" a loud voice shouted, silver flashes of light ripping into the shadow demon as it slammed against a tree, and it howled in agony.

A white robed figure burst into the clearing, hands afire with silver light. The hood fell back, and they saw it was Percival, and he had a terrible look on his face as he advanced on the demon, magic ripping into it, disintegrating the essence of the demon, which shrieked as it saw the newcomer, eyes blazing its hatred. Recovering, it hurled its dark power at Percival, only to be smashed back into the ground with a flash of silver light. Leaping up, it jumped at Percival, intent on tackling him to the ground, taking Percival before it expired.

Shielding his arms with the magic, Percival caught the demon mid-leap, and threw it to the ground. As it scrabbled to get up, Percival grabbed the demon's arms, and forced his arm around the demon's neck, in a vice-like hold, choking and melting it at the same time, the magic burning into the shadow. The silver light danced over the demon and it simply _exploded_ , the magic invading it and disintegrating it.

He turned to them, watching as they lowered their defences, pathetic as they were, with a magic knife and a couple of sticks. Blaze cautiously put down her hands, the fire dying away as Silver let the telekinetic glow fade. Shadow sheathed his camping knife and Sonic dropped his enchanted stick. Percival's face suddenly broke into a wide smile. "You're alive!" They gathered around Percival, who continued. "I was at the Tower, drinking tea, and trying to finish my project, when…"

"So, I sensed that you were all in danger, and I came as quickly as I could." He concluded, looking up at them. "And I didn't realise how powerful and resourceful Mirius is. Without formal lessons, and just by learning all the stuff in that book. I'm impressed, but then again, I have no reason not to be. How long will you intend to stay here? If you intend to conduct war every night that is."

Shadow shrugged. "We're alright, and originally planned for three days, but I don't know if we're going to change that." Percival nodded. "In any case, I have stuff to teach Mirius and maybe things to give you too. Be right back." Taking Mirius aside, he began teaching him arcane secrets. Shadow caught snatches of the lessons, "Put the tea bag into the water for ten minutes, and boil it slowly. _One_ cube of sugar only, idiot." He shook his head, wondering if he had heard wrongly.

"You seem to have gotten a lot of practice at doing magic," he said, indicating the enchanted weapons. Mirius grinned faintly, tired out from the extreme use of magic. "Thanks, but I mostly learnt the stuff from the books." Percival smiled. "In which case, I have something for you." Reaching into his robes, he withdrew a thick, leather-bound tome, which had been warded extremely carefully to prevent any damage, the flowing script encircling the edges of the cover. "This is the first book that we have on the uses of magic, part of the collection of all the knowledge we have gathered from centuries of experimentation, study, and discussion. Take good care of it, although I think that the magic protecting it will more than suffice. It's in cursive, so reading _might_ cause headaches. But then again, almost all history books cause headaches when you read them."

The instruction carried on into the wee hours of the morning, and Mirius returned, exhausted but mind churning, dissecting information and storing it into different possibilities to be analysed. He collapsed into his tent, sleeping instantly. Shadow, who had stayed up to watch for the demons' return, saw Percival walk back. "I'm going to put a shield around your campsite, and I want you to see if you can make weapons from the stuff here." He indicated the forest. "Mirius will know what to do."

Stepping away, he threw his hands out, a shimmering light flaring all around the campsite. The magic that Percival was setting in place to ward them was immensely powerful, and Shadow could taste it in the tang that it left in the air. When it was completed, Shadow could see the faint shimmers of it in the air, the protective magic fairly glowing around them and jumping in small sparks to the ground. Finished with his magic, he turned away, waving to Shadow, who waved back and then crawled into the tent to sleep with Mirius.

* * *

The moon set soon after, yet they did not rise till late morning, exhausted by last night's ordeal. Mirius, an early riser, woke up first, to feel a warm weight pressed up against his back, and arms around him. _Oh Solaris, Shadow….._ he thought, unable to bear the notion of pushing him away. Sighing, he leant back into Shadow and closed his eyes again, resting his head against Shadow's strong chest, and felt the white fur catch on his quills. _It's nice to have someone to lean on, and not the other way around, huh._ Giggling slightly, he soon drifted off again.

Silver was up, and walking out of his tent, he realised that no one else was up yet. _That's strange…usually Mirius is the first to wake up, with him operating on his 'vampire schedule'._ He considered his options. Go back to sleep, with Blaze who had kicked him last night in her sleep, or stay up and get ready first. He decided on the latter, grabbing his toothbrush, toothpaste and a mug, before going to the nearby stream to brush his teeth. Returning, he found no one up yet still, and decided to look into their tents to see what was going on.

He looked into Sonic and Tails' tent, and saw them sleeping in each other's embrace, completely naked. Shocked, he staggered backwards, biting back a scream, before tripping over a tree root. _This was a bad idea, stop it, Silver._ But as if drawn by an unseen, inexorable force, he found himself getting up and walking to Mirius and Shadow's tent. What he saw made him scream.

Shadow was lying beside Mirius, both of them sleeping. Shadow was wearing clothes, yes, but they did nothing to hide the wet stain in his pants, nor the fact that he was pressed up close to Mirius. Mirius was lying there, sleeping blissfully, a small smile on his face that was quickly shattered by Silver's scream. Eyes snapping open, dark brown and ruby pairs fixed onto an amber, terrified pair. Mirius sat up, rubbing his head. "Why you gotta scream at us to wake us up, my head hurts." He muttered, rubbing at his head. Shadow sat up, looking down and closing his legs together to hide the evidence of a wet dream. Silver babbled incoherently, before disappearing.

The scream had woken up the rest of the camp too. Within minutes, Sonic, Tails and Blaze had emerged from their tents, and were looking for whatever that had caused Silver to shriek so violently in the vicinity. "What's going on?" Sonic asked, walking over to Silver.

"I..I..I just saw Shadow sleeping with Mirius!" Sonic frowned. "So? You were sleeping with Blaze, and I didn't scream 'incest' did I?" Silver babbled on more. "But he..he had…" Shadow had gotten out of the tent by then, and gave Silver a look that clearly said, _Shut up now, Silver._ Silver instantly quietened down. Sonic had a puzzled look on his face, but made no comment, heading for the stream to wash up, when he saw Shadow carrying a bucket.

"What's that for, Shads?"

Shadow sighed. "I told you not to call me that."

"Fine, _Shadow_. What is that for?"

"I was going to collect water so we could use it at our campsite, instead of at the stream. Where were you last night anyways?"

Sonic flushed red. "Err…with Tails in a very secret location."

Shadow grinned knowingly. "So, are you two an item now? Amy's not going to be happy, and neither is Tikal."

Sonic paled. "Oh..right. I'm gonna have to sort them out, huh?"

Shadow grinned. "Yep. Talk to Mirius if you want advice. He plans for lots of stuff, so, he could probably figure out something for you."

Sonic's grin returned. "So what happened with you and Mirius last night in the tent?"

Shadow snorted. "Nothing, actually."

"Don't lie to me, I told you everything about Tails."

"Fine…I had a wet dream. That's it."

"Who was it about?"

"Not going to tell you."

Sonic lengthened his stride to keep up with Shadow, who had started to walk faster to end the conversation.

"C'mon, I did tell you about Tails…. Tell me."

"Fine…later."

They reached the stream, and Shadow filled the bucket, before brushing his teeth, with Sonic beside him. "Oh, how do you feel about a change in schedule?" Sonic was nonplussed. "What?"

"Well, instead of beach sports, we play 'kill the demon' for sports."

"You're making this into a game?"

"Why not? It's good exercise anyways."

"Then what do we do in the meanwhile?"

"I don't know, talk? It's the first time we are together, so why not?"

They strode back to the campsite, Shadow hefting the now heavy bucket, and they came to hear Silver bemoaning his crappy Humanities grades. Mirius was listening patiently, as he always was, and was making a few suggestions. Tails perked up when Sonic returned, eyes lighting up again with the newfound love he had, the past hurts and despairs that he felt now a distant memory. Blaze had given up listening to Silver moan, and was blasting music through her phone, drowning out Silver. That gave Sonic an idea for killing time until night.

"Let's have a sing-off!"

Everyone stared at him. "Are you crazy?" Blaze asked. "I think it's a good idea!" Tails commented, looking at Mirius who nodded. "Yes, let's do it" Shadow said, agreeing. "Alright, four to two, majority saying to do it, so we will!" Sonic said, clapping his hands. Blaze sighed, pulling out her songs and flicking through her _massive_ library. "So which one? And who first?"

Tails eagerly grabbed her phone first, and chose a song. "I'll go first!" Standing, he cleared his throat, and to the background instrumentals, he began to sing, voice tuning almost perfectly to the pitch of the singer.

" _You're on the phone, with your girlfriend, she's upset. She's going off about something that you said. Cause she doesn't get your humour like I do. I'm in my room, it's a typical Tuesday night. I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like. And she'll never know you story like I do."_

He glanced at Sonic, a smile on his face as they shared the same memories, the same understanding that no one else could match. He could see it in his blue speedster's eyes, the glowing emerald eyes that shone for him alone.

" _But she wears shorts skirts, I wear T-shirts. She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers. Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you're looking for has been here the whole time."_

Sonic was captivated heart and soul by the song that Tails was singing. It was a story of their lives, their personalities, and the revelations that he had, to have his fox be his lover.

" _If you can see that I'm the one who understands you, been here all along, so why can't you see…..you belong with me, you belong with me._

 _Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans, I can't help thinking this is how it's meant to be. Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself, hey isn't this easy."_

Sonic had lost himself in his lover's voice, the pure, sweet sound of Tails singing leaving him with his thoughts. He grinned at the strangeness of it all. _Who would have thought that I would have fallen for my best and longest friend?_ Caught up in his thoughts, he barely noticed that Tails had finished, to applause from his friends. _They won't know the meaning of the song,_ he realised. But as he met Tails' glimmering sapphire eyes, he read the message in there for him. _They won't realise the meaning,_ his eyes seemed to say.

 _But we will._

Sonic smiled, standing and embracing the fox, causing Silver to choke on his drink. "Are you two….?" Sonic nodded. "Yeah…and I would appreciate it if my friends understood and didn't go off to tell Amy. Or anyone else for that matter."

Shadow clapped his hands to get their attention. "Well, now that we know that hordes of bloodthirsty demons are after us, let's get prepared for tonight's war! We shall now proceed to making weapons from what nature offers."

Shadow was surprisingly good at making weapons from scratch. He had wooden pikes, some staves and even a bow strung with vines. "Wow…Shadow, are you preparing for World War 3?" Mirius asked, shaking his head in wonder. Shadow shrugged. "I'd be more comfortable with an AK-47, but when needs must, I suppose." He was sharpening the head of a long wooden pike, and Mirius looked to the side to see Sonic and Tails working on…. _something_. "No, the velocities it reaches will cause premature wear and tear!" Tails argued, Sonic moaning and covering his face in helplessness. "I don't know how to do all this!"

Mirius ran his hand across the wooden pikes, infusing them with his magic. They glowed a faint silver, the magic making them resilient and capable of hurting the demons more effectively than weapons of the physical alone. "You seem awfully confident doing battle with the demons." Shadow shrugged. "I've been through worse, on my missions." Mirius sat there, fascinated. "Tell me about them." Shadow glanced up from where he was writing plans for the equipment.

"Well, there was once when I had to rescue another agent who was trapped in Doctor Eggman's base, when he was still on his plans for world domination. The agent had been subjected to medical experimentation…" he continued, finally concluding, "So I managed to get her out with the Chaos Emeralds. Almost died doing it."

Shadow gestured at the mound of metal ore on the ground nearby. "Say, do you happen to know how to set up a blast furnace? Getting a metal weapon could prove helpful." Mirius thought about it. "I'll need bricks, and we can get the stuff to make it…somewhere." Shadow disappeared into the forest, returning with a bucket of clay. "This enough?" Mirius shrugged. "Should be."

Tails had wandered over, deeming the plan that he and Sonic concocted a complete failure. Blaze was still seated there, singing to her phone, and Silver was seated on a rock, hand between his legs as he looked at a wooden pike. Tails glanced at the metal ore and the clay and came to the same conclusion as Mirius. "You want a metal furnace?" Shadow nodded. "Can you help Mirius set it up? I know you have some experience with making one, to cast metal parts for your plane."

They stepped away from Shadow's little fort with the many pointy bits and sat down, Mirius bringing the bucket over, and they began shaping the clay into bricks, and baking them over a campfire. Sonic came over after deciding sharpening wood was boring as fuck, and was much more interested in what Tails was doing, or more specifically, was more interested in Tails.

"So what are you guys doing?" Tails sighed. "We're trying to make bricks to make a furnace, to get the metal out of that ore." He said, pointing. Sonic scratched at his head. "Look, I don't know much about that this stuff, but I'm pretty sure we need Carbon, right?" Mirius nodded. "Carbon, and high temperatures. Probably a little limestone too, to clean up the ore."

Sonic sat down beside them, and started molding the clay into bricks, relaxing in that simple work. "Hey, remember when we used to play with Play-Doh, hmm?" Tails leant into Sonic's shoulder, smiling up at him. "Yeah, and I'd get it all over my fur." Mirius pulled at his ears. "PDA, guys. PDA." Tails swatted at him. "Hey, you encouraged me to get this, okay." Sonic chuckled at this. "So you _were_ playing matchmaker, eh Mirius?" Mirius just shrugged. "Hey, you two were perfect for each other! I just helped y'all to realise that." Sonic laughed. "Can't say I regret it, I love this too much." Tails flicked his arm. "I'm not a 'this'!"

Abruptly, Mirius stood, brushing off the clay from his hands. "That should be enough, now I gotta ask Shadow for some chalk or something like that. You two lovebirds can go and bake the clay into bricks, and I don't know, have sex or something while I go looking for more stuff." Sonic and Tails laughed at this, the events of last night coming back to them. "We won't make _too_ much noise, we promise." Tails said, winking.

Mirius found Shadow amidst a plethora of weaponry, discussing their uses with Silver and Blaze, who were listening and arguing. Or at least, only Silver was arguing, Blaze more content to support her brother. He felt his emotions flare up when he saw Silver, and hurriedly quashed them, leaving his face a blank mask as he spoke.

"We'll need limestone, Shadow, if we want a quality metal weapon. It's to clean up the ore, from acidic impurities, like sand." Shadow frowned, brows furrowed in concentration. "There are limestone cliffs near that side of the beach," he said finally, pointing in that direction. Mirius nodded, before turning and breaking into a run, yelling for Sonic to follow him.

They ran to the cliffs, Sonic beating Mirius to it, even carrying the bucket. Mirius arrived soon after, panting while Sonic was barely breathing hard. "Alright…so the white stone….is the limestone." Mirius gasped, catching his breath. Sonic frowned. "We don't have anything to break the limestone with, so how will we get it?" Mirius grinned. "Get ready to catch falling rocks."

Pointing his hands at the cliffs, he sent three quick blasts of silver magic, shattering the side of the cliff and sending huge white chunks of rock falling at them. The cliffs shook with the force of the explosions, great booming coughs that caused the earth to tremble beneath them. Sonic raced around, catching the smaller rocks, while avoiding being crushed. He danced around the rocks with an elegance Mirius envied, but like Tails and Silver, could not bear the harsh exercise that attaining that fluidity of movement demanded. He was naturally somewhat athletic, but never really honed that skill, preferring the realm of books and experiments. And now magic too, as this skill was within his grasp. He turned his attention back to where Sonic was dragging a large lump of limestone out of the sea, and breaking bits off to fill the bucket. "Let's go," he called as he finished filling the bucket, blue legs already churning the sand as he took off back to the campsite. Mirius sighed. _Oh, my aching legs._

They arrived back at the campsite, with Tails having already set up the furnace, sealing the gaps with the remaining clay and waiting for the furnace's heat to bake them, thereby sealing the spaces between the bricks. Mirius watched as Tails filled the sides with charcoal, and ignited the fuel, before pouring the crushed mixture of metal ore and limestone, mixed with some powdered charcoal. Mirius looked at a piece of metal ore, trying to identify it. It was reddish, and hinted at iron, although it could possibly be chromium, but he doubted that the reddish-brown dust it left on his hands was anything but. _Likely iron, then._ Tails was blowing into little vents that had been carefully constructed, to allow air to get in. Gathering his magic, he put out his hand, fire rushing into the furnace, magical fire that burned with magic for fuel, raising the temperature of the furnace considerably. _Element control, oh yeah._ Tails stoked the fire with more charcoal, almost causing an explosion as he poured _powdered_ charcoal in, and was saved by Sonic slamming the lid on top with milliseconds to spare.

Slowly, a glowing liquid oozed out of one siphon, pouring into a cast. Tails skimmed off the top layer of slag when it filled, allowing more of the iron to fill the cast, shaped into a sword's blade. "Hmm…not enough." Tails muttered, waiting for a little more iron to pour out, adding a little bit of ore to the furnace. Rivulets of sweat ran down his face, damping his golden fur. Sonic caught himself staring at Tails, watching his golden sexy kitsune hard at work, his two tails brushing the surrounding bush as he waited for the iron to pour.

Inevitably, Tails caught him staring, which wasn't hard, seeing how his mouth was wide open. "What?" Tails asked, hands busy with the furnace. Sonic shook his head. "Nothing." Tails shrugged, closing the siphon off with a brick as the cast blade cooled. "Should we pour water?" Tails asked Mirius, who was watching the blade intently. Mirius shook his head. "No, the steel has a very high concentration of carbon already, so it's probably quite brittle and hard. Cooling it suddenly will make it harder and more brittle, cause smaller crystals will form, and more grain boundaries means that it's going to be really brittle." He glanced down at the huge book on top of his backpack. "Let me see if I can find something in there." He said, pulling out the massive tome, and started reading.

The blade had cooled by now, and Tails was thinking of the handle. "Should we cast the handle as well, or should we make it out of something else?" Mirius thought about it. "We could cast it, then I could weld them together." Tails sighed, looking at his slightly burned hands, and the char that came about working with furnaces. "Alright then, he said, taking a clay brick and molding it into the shape of a handle.

When he was done with the molding, firing and casting, he turned to Mirius, the two slightly blued articles of steel in his hands. "Well, what now?" Mirius rose, and set the book aside. "Okay, now I test what I studied from a book in thirty minutes." Taking the handle and blade, he placed them together, and concentrated on them. Tails and Sonic could feel the magic he was commanding, the magnitude of it telling in the flashes and sparks that jumped off his hands, spinning away onto the ground. The two articles of steel started to glow, a faint silver first, then brighter, and Tails could tell that they had joined into one. Yet the glow did not dim; it got brighter and brighter, a sheet of white light passing from the base of the hilt to the tip of the blade, shining brighter than the sun. Mirius was trembling with the effort, but poured more magic into the blade, laying his magic, the magic to defend and protect, to magic to preserve, into the sword.

With a brilliant flash of silver light, the sword was completed, the magic it possessed hidden away inside it. It still looked ordinary, a simple blade, yet it had a sheen which it did not have just ten minutes ago. Mirius clutched at it while he stumbled, falling down in a heap, exhausted from the effort. Gasping, he got up, and turned to where Shadow was. Sonic caught him just before he fell a second time, and walked him to Shadow, where he sat sharpening wooden pikes with his knife.

Wordlessly, he handed the blade to Shadow, who he had intended the weapon for. As soon as the intended had touched the blade, the spells that bound them together flared to life, and the sword blazed a brilliant silver, the light flowing down the blade, into Shadow. The light flared as it bound the sword to Shadow inextricably, merging the magic of the blade with his soul. Shadow gasped, and as soon as the merging was complete, the light died, revealing an ordinary sword with a name etched on the blade.

 _Shadow._

He swung it around experimentally, the blade light and responsive. The magic had done something to the blade, Mirius realised, for when he had picked up the two halves, they had been heavy and unwieldy, and seemed more a hammer than a sword. Shadow suddenly turned around, and hugged Mirius, somewhat impulsively. "Thanks!" he said, the glee he felt with a new weapon evident. Mirius shook his head and sighed. "Weapons seem to be the only things you like, huh, Shadow?" Shadow shrugged. "Can't deny that, when I was created to be the Ultimate Weapon for G.U.N, so…yeah."

Mirius continued, "Now, be careful, cause this weapon has magic that can hurt just about _anything_ , not just demons. It will cut through almost anything, and thusly, is more powerful than these wooden sticks." He gestured at the sharpened pikes. "It has bonded itself to you, and thus, the magic of the sword will draw from you too. But this magic is intended to _protect_ , so you as the intended of this weapon, will have the magic of the blade come to life to protect you, and any other that you want to. I don't really know anything else to say, but just…be careful of the magic, alright? The magic come to life _only_ when you have need of it, not just at any time. Solaris, I sound like Percival." Mirius muttered, turning away, and grabbing his clothes and toiletries from his backpack. "I'm off to take a shower."

He disappeared into a public restroom somewhere near the beach, courtesy of Eggman's social improvement project. _It is really working out,_ he thought, the convenience of such facilities making his life so much easier. There were shower cubicles, and he heaved a silent sigh of relief to find that it was clean and empty. Slipping inside one, he closed the door and proceeded to strip himself, peeling off Shadow's clothes. _I'm still going to be wearing Shadow's clothes, for a while too...yikes._ He pushed them into a raised shelf, and pushed the water, only to screech in shock as the water that poured on him was freezing. _Of course, it's winter…but the woods weren't_ that _cold._ He bathed quickly, running the cold water over him as he shivered and quickly soaped himself. Finishing up quickly, he threw on new clothes, courtesy of Shadow, and kicked the door open as he ran out into the December afternoon. It was a mild winter, and he was still dressed in a black shirt and pants, a small bag holding his folded but dirty clothes. Running back to the campsite, he dumped his stuff into his backpack, before collapsing asleep inside the tent, exhausted from the conjurations he had worked.

Shadow had finished all his preparations for the battle tonight, the sword's magic the only thing still untried and untested. "Well, I have nothing left to do now, so we might as well have that singing for fun now, huh." Sonic grinned at him. "You're welcome to the mike." He offered Shadow a stick. In spite of himself, Shadow grinned. "A stick? Really?" Taking it anyways, he flicked to a song he chose, letting the background instrumentals wash over him. Taking a deep breath, he began to sing.

" _So hot, out the box, can we pick up the pace. Turn it up, heat it up, I need to be entertained. Push the limit, are you with it, baby don't be afraid. I'm a hurt you real good baby._

 _Let's go, it's my show baby do what I say. Don't trip, off the glitz that I'm gonna display. I told ya, I'm a hold ya down until you're amazed. Give it to you till you're screaming my name."_

Sonic sat there with Tails, enthralled by the sound of Shadow's voice. Ultimate Lifeform that he was, his voice was perfect, pitching just where he wanted it. _Damnit, this song makes me wanna dance!_ He thought, glancing at Tails.

" _No escaping when I start, once I'm in I own your heart. There's no way to ring the alarm, so hold on until it's over! Oh, do you know what you got into. Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do. Cause it's 'bout to get rough for you, I'm here for your entertainment. Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet. I bet you thought an angel swept you off your feet. But I'm about to turn up the heat, I'm here for your entertainment."_

Tails was completely entranced by the song, Shadow's voice projecting across the whole campsite, filling the woods. Tails cocked his head, and realised that Sonic was staring at him. Shadow kept singing, and Sonic scooted closer, the question in his eyes that only he could read. Tails shook his head. "No, not gonna dance." He whispered into Sonic's ear, slipping a furry tail around his shoulder, caressing his cheek with one gloved hand. "But there are other options available…" Sonic grinned. "Tails, when I said I loved you, I didn't just mean sex. I meant that I loved you completely, as a person. And I always will." Tails smiled, burying his head into Sonic's chest, running his hand up his back, while Sonic wrapped his arms around Tails. If Shadow minded, he gave no comment, singing through a small part of Blaze's massive library of music on her phone, pirated off YouTube.

* * *

Mirius stumbled out of the tent, rubbing at his face. "Is it time yet?" The sky was darkening, even though it was but five. Everyone sat around the campsite with marked disinterest, and Mirius muttered something about getting dinner ready. Shadow lit the fire, and everyone slowly came to life, as the smells drew everyone. They ate quickly, so they could be ready for the night's game of 'kill the demon', courtesy of Shadow. As he ate, Mirius perused his book, containing all the history of mages gone before him, and knowledge of everything known about magic. He knew there were seven books, and this was but the first, yet the magic whispered to him, revealing secrets that he had not read about yet, guiding him to make that sword and the powers that he had to imprint upon the blade.

Shadow broke the silence. "Well, that's the first one." He pointed to a demon seemingly made of fire, which crashed into the shield and was thrown back, magic flaring into the night. Shadow picked up a pike, and hurled it like a javelin, impaling the fire demon against a tree. The point flashed with brilliant magic as it punched through the demon, and the demon wailed in agony. Selecting an enchanted arrow, he nocked it to his bow, and pulled it to his cheek, only to have the vine snap and hit his face. "Ah!" he cried out, dropping the bow. Mirius immediately caught him, magic gathered into a healing balm, and numbed the pain, deciding not to heal the welt to save magic. Shadow had grabbed another pike and hurled it, this time into the fire demon's head, killing it instantly.

A creature of seemingly no distinct shape, flickering with flashes of light, came out at them. As it walked, a bolt of electricity arced from its body into the ground, burning a black scorch into the ground. Mirius breathed slowly. "A lightning demon. Hmm….. you gotta be careful with that thing. Kill it quick, cause its attacks will weaken the shield by like, a lot." Shadow gripped his sword tightly. _Don't fail me now,_ he thought, leaping past the shield to dart to the side.

The lightning demon was much faster than he had expected, but then again what had he expected. A bolt of lightning shot past him, causing his fur to rise at the static. The sword was glowing in his hand, trails of magic left in his wake as it blazed a brilliant silver in the dark. He could feel the magic wake to his need, rising to his call, sheathing him in its power. A sense of invulnerability surrounded him, and he realised an aura of silver light over him, filling him with its magical strength. He smiled, and changed his plans. After all, who needs to run when they are indestructible?

He crashed into the lightning demon, grappling it into the ground, where he cut it in half, glowing blade severing it in one stroke. The magic's rush filled him, and he rose fluidly, sweeping his sword in a stroke that cleaved a stone demon from hip to shoulder, the blade cutting rock with magic.

Mirius stood within the shield, thinking. The shadow demon was not a natural element from which it could be born, therefore it had to be summoned. It was from the ether and the magic, so only a powerful magic, with the right tools could summon it, and so who and where was that person? His mind flickered back to when Percival had saved them at their first encounter with the shadow. He remembered that presence, that had struck them with lightning. Extending his magic, he probed at the surroundings, sensing for any semblance of life with that same presence. Detecting nothing, he was about to give up, when a great darkness seemed to throw itself into his senses. He staggered back, whirling around to the source. _Great, another shadow demon,_ he thought, seeing its similarities to yesterday, and calling for Shadow. Shadow had sensed it too, the sword warning him through the bond. _This time, we'll kill it without help,_ Mirius and Shadow agreed, as they met each other's eyes. Together, they stepped out to meet it, the rest of their friends fending off more mundane demons with their enchanted weapons.

Shadow dropped into a fighting crouch, years of expertise in this area buttressed by the magic of the sword. Mirius just pulled his hands out of his pockets, already lit with the magic's glow. The shadow leapt at Shadow, deeming him the greater threat with the weapon, and Shadow brought up the blade, parrying the demon's hands, the silver sunfire dancing along its length and burning the demon. An ebony staff materialised into the shadow demon's hand, and it brought it up to deflect Shadow's blade, silver light blazing against dark shadow. Mirius thrust out his hand, and blastt of force slammed the demon away, not hurting it, but buying some time.

It snarled, and launched itself at both of them, flowing in the darkness to unexpectedly strike at them. Mirius blasted at the demon with magic, but it seemed indestructible, the bolts of light barely slowing it. Shadow cut and stabbed at it, pressing the offensive, until the demon kicked him solidly between the legs. Shadow collapsed, and the demon would have killed him had not a fresh burst of magic sent it reeling away, Mirius slamming a glowing fist into its face, and watched as the magic spat brilliant sparks as it burned at the demon. Lances of silver light struck the demon, and it spun backwards, trailing sparks as it staggered back. Shadow had recovered, rolling to his feet, and leapt at the demon, slashing at it with his blade, feeling the magic bite into the demon. Yet the demon flung him off with a snarl, and Shadow barely managed to land on his feet, years of training saving his dignity as he landed, cat-like, on his feet. Blaze threw a pike at the shadow demon's back, but it merely flashed and bounced harmlessly off the demon.

Mirius and Shadow circled the demon, seeking any openings to attack, but the demon gave them none, always where they thought it would not expect. _Think, Mirius, think!_ He thought furiously, knowing that while the magic, powerful as it was, was not enough in this confrontation. The histories recorded into that massive book told of the First War of Magic, where the magic had not been enough against the creature of the Abyss, or Hell, and the White mages had to use cunning and intellect. _C'mon, Mirius, use that brain of yours, or someone could get hurt!_

The opening came when the demon lunged at Mirius, catching him off-guard while he was thinking, ironically, for ways to kill the demon. Only his defences, already laid about him, protected him, although the demon almost penetrated through all of them. The brilliant flash of silver light the flared to throw the demon back also threw Mirius back, into the shield the Percival had laid. Snarling at the loss of one of its prey, the demon failed to notice Shadow leaping silently behind him and thrusting the blade between its shoulders. The magic flared sharply as it reacted to the demon's dark flesh, the point piercing its black heart. Yet, it did not die, dragging the blazing sword out from the wound, to the astonishment of a shocked Shadow. The sword burned against the demon's flesh, sizzling white against the blackness of its body. Snarling triumphantly at having defeated death, it was about to hurl the blade back at Shadow, when a book seven inches thick and twelve inches tall struck its back, exploding into a fireball of pure magic, disintegrating the demon.

Mirius looked down at the book, untouched by dirt or harmed by the magic. Its wards were what had caused that explosion, to defend the book from any damage, and they had done their work admirably. Shadow gaped at him, the disintegration of such a powerful demon with such ease shocking him, especially where his efforts had been thwarted so simply. Mirius looked at them, confusion and shock mirrored in their eyes. The demons ringing their campsite, having seen what had happened to what had happened to the most powerful of their brethren, inched backwards slowly, disappearing into the forest again. As the last crackle of fire demons faded into the stillness of the night, the group turned to each other, bewildered yet elated, and filled with an all-encompassing exhaustion.

"That was fantastic, with the magic sword, Shadow!" Blaze exclaimed, pushing her long purple fur out of her eyes, which had fallen in during the battle. "And your magic and chemistry stuff Mirius! You're so lucky to have such a fantastic chemistry teacher like Earthia," she said wistfully, her chemistry teacher being the infamous Mephiles, who was slightly creepy and rather short-tempered, always creeping up on people to tell them off. Sonic brushed his hands through his quills, and Tails swished his trademark tails around, before wrapping them around Sonic's body.

"That wasn't so bad, I was scared for a little bit. Just a little bit. Yeah." Tails said, sitting down with Sonic in their tent. They had had a small convention, and Mirius determined that the demons wouldn't be coming back anymore, allowing them to get on with their camp. "Yeah, well, my little genius, you don't need to be scared at all." Sonic murmured into his ear, slipping his arms around him as Tails pushed himself into Sonic's chest. "But….we go to church, and Solaris dictates that we can't even do this; it's a sin, Sonic." Sonic grimaced, all the unpleasant thoughts coming back to him. "Well, Tikal's gonna just have to accept it. Or we could renounce Solarity. Y'know, Shadow did bring up a good point." Tails frowned. "What was it?" Sonic sighed. "Well, it was to go to Mirius for some advice, but I don't really know…" he trailed off, before nuzzling his chin into Tails' fur, resting it atop his head. Tails perked up immediately. "That's a good idea!" Sonic looked at him doubtfully, or as well as he could look from the top of Tails' head. "You really think so?" Tails nodded enthusiastically, making Sonic's teeth suddenly click together, and he reeled back slightly, stunned. "Sorry, sorry, but I really think that talking to Mirius is a good idea." Sonic shrugged. "We'll see." Tails looked at him, but wisely left it at there. It was the best he could have hoped for.

* * *

Mirius sat in his tent, yet his ears were attuned to somewhere further off. Specifically, he was listening into Silver's and Blaze's tent. The muted whispers in their tent were indistinct, yet Mirius heard all, and clearly. He was used to this, just sitting and listening. Eavesdropping was just another form of listening.

"It's weird, I mean, like guys can't _like_ guys, right?" That was Silver, and those words cut Mirius, cut him deeper than any other things that had been said to him before.

"I'm okay with it, but I'm straight. The Kinsey scale test I did proves it."

"Mirius acts so….gay too… I'm pretty sure he is. He said he was once, to me, but I wasn't really sure." Mirius bit his lip, sitting there with fists clenched, fighting down the urge to torch their tent.

"That's not very nice of you, to be mean to one of your friends just because they aren't 'normal' like you."

"But you just can't be like _that_. No. And no transgenders too. They're not natural."

"Well, whatever. That's not a topic I want to discuss now."

Silver ignored her. "Transgenders can't be real, they are all fake. They can't have babies naturally, because they don't actually have muscles there to give birth."

Mirius was pissed by now, and immediately reached out, deftly manipulating Blaze's mind, placing a suggestion in her head to say something, controlling her almost as a puppet with the subtlest, yet most insidious of suggestions.

"They can have surgery to have a baby, like C-section."

"That's not normal, they aren't born with it."

"What they are born with is their sex, not their gender, and definitely not their sexual orientation."

"Sex does not define gender."

"Notice how they mean the same thing?"

A small spark of silvery light flickered to life in Mirius' fist, and he took deep breaths, aware how closely he had come to losing control. Gritting his teeth, he extended his mind again, intent on ending the conversation.

"Whatever, I'm going to sleep."

"Goodnight."

Before he left Blaze's mind, he took pity on her, and left the memories of what had happened, as well as a reminder that he had been in her mind. Blaze started, as she realised that Mirius had used her in the argument, and revisiting the memories, realised that Silver had sort of won. Shrugging, a small smile on her lips, she turned over to sleep. _Well, Silver won the argument against you, stupid._ She thought as hard as she could at Mirius. A sharp crackle gave her a sense of satisfaction, before she turned over to sleep, smiling.

Mirius sat alone in the tent, looking down at his trembling hands. He feared to even lose control of his emotions, holding them in an iron grip, examining each feeling under the cold light of logic and reason. Yet they surged in his mind, threatening to overwhelm the island of sanity and total control in his mind, held back only by his solid iron will, that had helped him to hold against impulses that claimed so many of his age. _Deep breaths, Mirius, deep breaths_. He inhaled, every movement a controlled action. He wasn't so much angry as totally devastated. He had thought that Silver would be accepting and loving, and had received the rudest shock ever. _How could you do this to me?_ He thought, his thoughts coloured deeply with betrayal and sadness. Closing his eyes, the faintest trickle of salt water ran from his eye down his cheek, dripping off his face as he sniffed quietly. This was a horribly cruel joke. He had fallen for someone completely, body and soul, and now he was discovering that he did not know him as well as he thought he did. He heard rustling outside, and immediately wiped his face, turning away into the dim recesses of the tent to hide his tears. _This is illogical. Silver hasn't betrayed me yet._ He thought, yet his heart screamed 'Traitor!'. The tent flap opened, and Shadow entered, movements as fluid as his namesake, to sit beside him. _He heard me crying,_ he realised, as the Ultimate Lifeform has perfect senses. Yet he did nothing but sit quietly with him, for which he was grateful.

Controlling his voice, he spoke at long last. "I'm going to sleep." Shadow nodded, carmine eyes questioning, but filled with warmth. Mirius could not bear to meet them, fearful that all his feelings would come tumbling out. Turning over, he lay down on his sleeping bag, and quickly fell asleep. As he closed his eyes, the last thing he felt was the warmth of Shadow on his back, and he leant into it, letting Shadow warm his icy, shattered heart. Then he was gone, into the realm of his nightmares, of hearing Silver reject him over and over again until it all blurred into a singular vision of him saying this one sentence.

"You are not natural."

* * *

Please follow or favorite if you liked it, and don't forget to leave a review, even just an itty-bitty one! Please? (Big eyes)

Slightly based off my life (just a little bit)


	8. Chapter 8

Hello! I'm back, with Chapter 8! Aren't you people happy? More storyline! So please, please, please, write a review for me, good or bad! I won't judge, and neither should anyone else! Favourite and Follow if you liked it too! I need the motivation to keep writing LOL. (I sound so pathetic)

* * *

~Chapter 8~

Flickers of golden light shone behind Mirius' eyes, to a wailing siren and a steady stream of flashing red-and-blue lights. It seemed an eternity since he had woken up in this same position, with Silver instead, and when he had thought he had known Silver completely. Moaning softly, he brushed the crusted tears and sleep out of his eyes, and pushed himself into a sitting position, wondering what on Mobius was going on. Turning, he saw that Shadow was already up, and had his Chaos Blade and a gun in hand. Shadow crept out into the dawn light, and was immediately slapped into chains, and the police burst into the tent, dragging Mirius kicking and screaming out, before clapping him in irons as well. The commotion roused the rest of them, and they burst out of their tents to be arrested. All save Tails, who was brought before a grinning Amadeus Prower.

"You are all under arrest for the alleged kidnapping of Miles 'Tails' Prower, and as such will be subject to further investigation at the police station," the officer pronounced, while looking at Amadeus. "WHAT?!" Everyone chorused at once, but the officer paid them no heed, turning to Amadeus and asking, "Will you come back to the station to give us your statement, sir?" Amadeus smirked at them, while holding his son fast by the shoulder. "Certainly, officer," he replied, a vindictive grin on his smug face.

"I demand that you release me immediately." A voice called out, and all heads turned to see Shadow rattling his handcuffs, tapping his foot impatiently. A baton immediately smashed into his gut, and he doubled over, retching into the ground, as Mirius cried out. "Stop hurting him!" Shadow looked up, ruby eyes reflecting the flicker of anger that flared in them. The police officer merely stared him down, confident in his power over his prisoner. "Load them into the van." He called, and the rest of the captors forcibly sat them into the armoured van, with Amadeus and Tails being led into a different vehicle, a police car.

Silver and Blaze sat in the van quietly, while Sonic stared at the car that contained Tails, distraught at the sudden separation. Shadow sat by Mirius, who had quickly used his magic to determine that the worst damage he had received was bruising, and numbed the pain before the police officers could see. They sat with six police officers watching them, and with not much by way to communicate, Mirius resorted to using his mind.

 _Can you hear me?_ His voice resonated in their minds, startling a few of them, who quickly recovered to hide any evidence of foul play. _Yes._ Silver curtly replied, cold with fear and anger. For those who could not use telepathy, Mirius read their minds, skimming their surface thoughts to read their answers. _It's all your fault._ Silver lashed out at him, the force of his accusation backed with anger. Mirius looked at him, hurt. _What did I do?!_ he yelled back mentally. Silver shook his head, anger clouding his reason, and looked away, breaking the telepathic link. Mirius shrugged. _Well, that was a glimpse into Silver's mind, huh,_ he thought, before turning to the others.

Shadow looked down at his cuffs, before meeting Mirius' eyes. The meaning was clear – _Get me out of these._ Mirius frowned. _Can't you get out yourself? And won't getting out make it worse for us?_ He asked Shadow, who considered his words, and shrugged. _No, not really, there are Chaos Inhibitors on these cuffs, which reduce my strength. And yes, getting out might make our case worse,_ his surface thoughts seemed to say. _What can we do?_ he asked of everyone, and to his surprise, Tails answered.

 _We can answer their questions, and then I'll make an appeal to Child Services to help me out of this,_ his surface thoughts answered Mirius' question. _I have evidence of my dad hitting me._ Mirius shook his head incredulously. _Well, your plan goes._

They arrived at the police station in Station Square, Central City soon enough, and they were immediately closeted off into cells, with Silver and Blaze sharing one, and Shadow and Sonic sharing another. Mirius had to share one with another prisoner, but smiled wanly at them as Sonic and Shadow offered to swap places for him. "It's okay, I'll be fine. Promise." He said, turning into his cell.

The inmate he had to share with wasn't particularly muscled or tall, but something about him made Mirius uncomfortable. His eyes never left Mirius for a second, examining him from head to toe, and his arms were scarred rather horrifically. Deciding it would be best to not bother with him, Mirius sat on his bed and tried to appear unconcerned, in control. Secretly, he was laying spells of protection and warning, to alert and protect him if he was suddenly pounced on. Glancing at his cellmate, he decided it wasn't entirely impossible. He certainly _looked_ creepy enough. Closing his eyes, he leant against the hard wall and started thinking. Their belongings had been confiscated when they had been arrested, and were likely lying in some locker in this facility. He could sense where the book was, the massive tome of history and magic, that had magic warding it. It called to him, the magical signature of it distinctive and unique.

Suddenly, something flared in his mind, a sharp warning, and his eyes flew open to see the creep reaching for him. Barely staying his hand from activating the defensive magic, which he had intended for a last resort, he scooted aside, putting more distance between him and the creep. "What are you doing? Get away from me!" The creep laughed, inching closer. "Pretty boy…..come to Daddy." His hand brushed past Mirius' fine features, and he grimaced in revulsion, and fought down the urge to vomit and run screaming around, having no more space to move. Catching his hand, Mirius tried to shove him away, but the creep used his momentum against him, throwing him onto the floor, where he lay stunned. "Who's a pretty boy now, hmm?" Mirius scrabbled to his feet, hands out to defend himself. "Get away from me!" The creep smiled again, revealing almost perfect teeth. "No, the pretty boy is for me, and me alone!" he snarled, pouncing on Mirius in mid-speech, tackling him to the ground. Getting a hand in his quills, he pulled Mirius down, before straddling him. "NO!" Mirius cried, summoning whatever strength he had to throw the creep off. Enhanced with fear and magic, his throw slammed the creep into the concrete wall, and left a slight imprint on the wall. The guard peered in, but did nothing. Fighting and rape in prison was almost a daily occurrence, and he would be most foolish to try to stop it.

Mirius held up one hand, fingers pointed at the creep. "Stay back! Or…or else!" The creep laughed hysterically, to the backdrop of Shadow pounding on his cell bars, demanding to be let out, hearing Mirius scream. "Or else what, pretty boy?" Mirius was lost for words, but still inched back to the bars, keeping his back to it, while he kept the fingers pointed at the creep. The creep tsked and just sprang forward, catching his hand by the wrist and wrenching it, forcing Mirius into a wristlock. "Aahhh!" he cried, punching ineffectually at the creep, who applied more pressure until he stopped punching. "Now, was it so bad, pretty boy? Your friend seems to want to come in here and beat me up. But he can't!" he laughed manically. The creep ran his hand all the way down Mirius' arm to his chest and down between his legs, making Mirius gasp and try to bite the creep, while fighting back tears at being violated. "Perverted creep! Stop touching me!" Wise to the trick, the creep kneed Mirius in the face, causing his teeth to click together and stunning him, his head lolling to one side as he tried to regain his bearings. Groping further, the perverted hands running down Mirius' thighs, before pushing one hand into his pants.

Gasping at the suddenness of such a violation, Mirius screamed loudly, or would have, had the creep let him. His hand a violent slash, the creep slapped Mirius violently, and while he was still stunned, kissed him. The force of those perverted lips was too much, and his tongue snaked into Mirius' mouth, muting his screams. Disgusted, he tried pushing the slimy organ out of his mouth, but it only succeeded in coating his own tongue in the pervert's own saliva. Mustering whatever determination was left in his shattered psyche, he bit down. Hard.

The heavy metallic smell of blood was thick on his tongue as the creep backhanded him violently, spitting blood from his mouth onto Mirius' face. Rolling over, he tried to get to his feet, but the creep had pounced on him again. "Naughty! Pretty boy bit daddy, so daddy must now punish him!" Mirius pushed him off, eyes wide with fear, but the creep rolled and threw Mirius into the wall, stunning him with the force and violence. The maniacal fire in his eyes promised complete and utter violation, and Mirius wasn't exactly ready for that.

The perverted hands ran down his sides again, sickening him with their touch, before jerking his pants down. Mirius was making little panting noises, voice hoarse from screaming, and it was only arousing the creep further. "Go away!" he cried, scrabbling to get away from that rape-driven creep. Disdaining with further words, those perverted hands pinched and squeezed at Mirius' cream furred body, touching where no one else was supposed to touch, and touching those parts without the slightest hint of care. Mirius could barely do anything, almost mentally and physically broken as the disgusting embrace of the creep washed over him. His futile struggles stopped when the creep grabbed his privates and _squeezed._ He mewled in pain and fear, as the creep messed around with his body, every one of his principles and morals falling away. He couldn't feel anything else, but the pain and fear, that feeling of powerlessness stirring the magic's power in him. _Make it stop make it stop make it stop!_ He screamed mentally, and the magic blazed within, to fulfil his desires, dictates of the White be damned.

Making a quick gesture, he drew from the lines of the earth's power, and shaped it into elemental power. A bolt of lightning flashed from his hand with a loud _crack,_ and a brilliant flash of light, throwing the creep back into a scorched heap, while the feedback of electricity conducted harmlessly off the pre-set magical defences set in place. Even while the creep lay in a slightly charred heap on the ground, stinking of ozone, Mirius just curled up into a ball on the ground and cried, the disgust and fear and despair overwhelming him. The tears kept running, loose of the power of his determination and will, which had been thoroughly broken by that encounter. His knees drawn up to his chest, he buried his face in his hands and didn't even stir when the guard came in to take his cellmate to the infirmary on a stretcher.

* * *

Silver wasn't sure at first what that sound was at first, the faint whispered hisses, and the hiccups that came from the cell to his left. Blaze was curious too, and peered around the corner, to see Mirius curled up in the floor, sobbing quietly. He had never seen Mirius cry before, and wondered what had actually happened. He had seen a weird hedgehog being pulled out of Mirius' cell on a stretcher, and he had Lichtenberg figures all across his body. Leaning in close, he whispered quietly. "Are you okay?" Mirius seemed not to have heard him, having retreated to somewhere deep inside of him. "Ohhhhkayyyyy…." Silver muttered, going back to his bed and sitting down.

Shadow saw Mirius balled up on the floor, and heard quiet sniffling. Looking closer, he could see a small puddle near Mirius' head, and tears leaking out from between his fingers. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, flicking through his contacts to Gerald Robotnik, all while whispering soothing words to Mirius. Sonic had come over and saw Mirius in such a pitiful state, and decided not to question anything. Whatever had happened, it must have had been horrible for Mirius to start crying.

"Hello, Gerald Robotnik here. How can I help you?" the slightly sleepy voice of his grandfather came through his phone. "Grandfather, it's me, Shadow. I need help, I'm in prison." The voice of his grandfather came back, all trace of sleep gone. "Yes, how did you end up in prison? Tell me on the way; I'm coming immediately." He heard the sound of papers being rustled and thrown into a bag, before a sharp snap and the clicking of the car keys. "Oh Solaris, why is there ice-cream inside the car?" he heard his grandfather mutter, and rubbed his forehead. _Damnit._

"We went camping, and Amadeus thought it was a kidnapping, and called the police on us. We're currently at the police station in Station Square, Central City, not Prison Island, thankfully."

His grandfather sighed. "Didn't you show them your credentials?"

"No, Amadeus was there. Besides, I was instantly cuffed, so yes, I had no opportunities to show them my pass. Grandfather, speed is essential right now. My friend is crying on the floor, because he just got molested by another inmate. Please hurry, they could force an interrogation any time now, and my friend won't be able to handle it!"

He heard nothing more than the squeal of tyres on the road, and a few muttered calculations.

"Hang in there, Mirius, my grandfather is coming to help us soon." Shadow whispered to Mirius, who gave no indication of having heard. Sonic sat there, straining to stay calm. "Poor Mirius…I didn't know he got molested, and in just a few minutes of entering!" Shadow looked at him. "Couldn't you hear? Couldn't you see?" he snapped at Sonic, patience worn thin with fear for Mirius and annoyance at Sonic. He caught his breath as a guard walked purposefully in, with cuffs. _Damn, Amadeus finished giving his statement already! They're going to interrogate us now!_ Thankfully, they stopped at Silver's cell first, extracting the both of them for the interrogation.

"Where were you on the twenty-first of December, at one-thirty p.m?" the poker-faced interrogator asked, betraying none of his thoughts. Silver sat in the chair, cuffed to the armrests.

"I was near my home, getting my stuff to go camping with my friends."

"Your home is understandably close to the residence of Sonic the Hedgehog, and his ex-renter, Miles 'Tails' Prower. At that time, an innocent civilian was assaulted. Do you have any knowledge of this?"

"Who was assaulted?" Silver asked, suspicious of the interrogator's motives.

"Doctor Amadeus Prower."

"I…I don't know."

"You do." The interrogator stated, not even bothering to probe further.

"I…I don't know anything."

"Then why do you stutter?"

"I don't know….."

"YOU DO!" the interrogator suddenly yelled, slamming his hand onto the table. "You are associated with them, and have just admitted to being there at the same time! Stop wasting my time and tell me what the hell happened!"

Silver started backwards, frightened by the outburst.

"It...it was Shadow!"

"There we go. Wasn't this so much easier? Here's another question. Where were you the past two days, from night to night of each day?"

"At… at the campsite."

"And what were you doing, especially with Mr Miles?"

"Err….fighting demons?"

"Come again?"

"Fighting demons with magical items?"

"Demons don't exist, boy. Kid around with me and I'll start crushing your testicles."

"Okay okay."

"What else were you doing?"

"Normal camping stuff?"

"Very well. This interview is over."

The interrogator uncuffed Silver from the chair, and led him outside to the guard, who escorted him back to his cell. He turned to Blaze next, bringing her into his office.

"Were you with your brother for the past three days?"

"Yes."

"I understand that it is difficult to climb the ranks of nursing, a civil service, with a criminal record."

Blaze stiffened. "Are you threatening me?"

The interrogator laughed. "Threaten you? No, I would never be so direct. Think of this as an exchange. You give me all the information, details included, and I'll wipe your slate clean."

"Give me time to think about this."

"You have three minutes, after which I have to call in the next victim – excuse me – interviewee.

Just then, a guard entered the room. "Sir, this interview is cancelled. Some guy is bailing them out. Pretty old, but he has some high-level credentials." The interrogator's lips twisted into a scowl, but released Blaze, who left with the guard to go release her friends.

Once the door opened, Shadow and Sonic were instantly out, and had burst into Mirius' cell. "Mirius? Mirius, you okay?" Shadow asked gently, only getting quiet sobs in reply. Shaking his head slowly, he lifted Mirius up gently into his arms, walking out of the facility. They entered the reception area, to see Gerald looking rather flustered to see Shadow carrying Mirius, and even more flustered to see tears down the sides of Mirius' face, and quickly pointed to the car. Silver and Blaze quickly excused themselves, catching a cab to Bygone Island to their home, while Sonic followed Shadow to Robotnik Residences, knowing he'd probably catch Tails there.

They piled into the car, Gerald driving while Shadow held onto Mirius, or rather, Mirius clung to Shadow, as if letting go would mean death. Sonic politely sat at the back, texting Tails to find out where he was.

Finally, Gerald spoke, his voice slightly shaky still, having driven down to the police station without his morning coffee. "What happened to him?"

Shadow sighed. "He had to share a cell with a paedophile, who molested him. I think he is suffering from emotional trauma. Does N.I.C.O.L.E have programs for helping with such issues?"

Gerald thought for a bit. "I think so…"

Shadow looked down at Mirius, who clung to him still, not letting go of his shirt. It was hard to imagine this was the confident, outspoken hedgie that had been Mirius, yet it was. Such a drastic personality change _had_ to be because of some deep emotional damage. Sonic noticed that Shadow kept looking at Mirius, and leant forward, whispering softly, to maintain the privacy of their conversation.

"So, was the wet dream you had about Mirius?"

"How'd you know?"

"You keep looking at him, and seem awfully concerned about him."

"I am concerned about everyone."

"Especially Mirius?"

"Fine. Yes, I do admit that. I am in love with him."

Sonic's eyes widened. "Wait, for real? Like really, really in love with him?"

Shadow sighed. "Yes, can you understand that?"

"Hmm….then it's probably time for me to return a favour I owe him."

"What favour?"

"Oh, you'll see. You will see."

* * *

They arrived at Shadow's house, and they disappeared inside, Shadow off to lay Mirius to sleep, given how shock had set in and knocked him unconscious, Sonic off to peek into Prower Residences for a glimpse of Tails. All he heard were sharp cracks and squeals of pain, and the booming voice of Amadeus Prower yelling at Tails for his disobedience. Gerald had gone off to the kitchens to get his coffee, if only to stop his hands from shaking. When he had come out, he saw Shadow standing around, looking lost and uncertain, a look he hadn't seen since Shadow was still young. Sighing, he walked forward, hugging Shadow, who fell into his arms.

"What's wrong, Shadow?"

"Grandfather…I…I think I am in love."

"Oh Solaris….this topic. Who's the lucky person? Is it that nice looking boy you put in your bed?"

Shadow gaped. "How'd you know?"

Gerald grunted. "Please, when you get to my age, and stay as observant as ever, it isn't hard to deduce. I'm not going senile just yet, you know. Come. We will speak in my office."

Shadow picked at his gloves, twisting his Inhibitor Rings while Gerald continued. "He's a nice person from what I've observed in school, but as an authority figure, I can't judge for you. You have to judge for yourself, as his friend. Oh, interestingly, he makes my Chaos Energy detectors go crazy when he goes near them, but somehow, I can't get the frequencies to resolve. Anyways, if you want to tell me everything, go ahead," he said, pulling out a pad of paper and pen. Shadow gathered his thoughts, pulling them together to piece them out.

"It started in…the middle of high school, I think. I mean like, I had always thought he was kind of cute? But I wasn't really drawn to that. I much preferred his personality. He puts his feelings aside for others, and he's always ready to listen. If he finds something worth doing, he just goes and does it with such determination, it's almost _scary._ But I also liked Sonic about that time. I mean, he is basically somewhat like Mirius too. But he's so much more egoistical than Mirius, so I started drifting to Mirius more than Sonic."

"But then, it's illegal to engage in homosexual activity," Shadow said, a bitter smile on his lips, the irony not lost on him. As an agent of law enforcement, he was going to engage in illegal activities, just for what he was. He continued, "So, I tried to find those qualities in a lady. I tried it out with Blaze a little, but my heart really wasn't even into it. Sonic was always there, but he seemed…I don't know, quite straight? And only yesterday did I come to the conclusion that Mirius already loved Silver. But Silver broke his heart, and so I'm not really sure anymore. My life is complicated."

Gerald leaned forward. "Yes, of course, what you are saying is true. It is illegal, but honestly, I think if it makes you happy, just go for it. You say Mirius is extremely committed? Then he'll be just as committed to you. I think that, if he feels the same way about you, he'll love you forever too. Just don't go fornicating around in school during lessons and you'll be good to go. School rules."

Shadow sighed. "But he is still pretty much still thinking of Silver, or at least I think so."

Gerald grunted. "Then just go slow, and he'll open up to you. Trust me, you're more capable at this than you think."

* * *

Mirius was having horrendous nightmares about what had happened. He could see the creep's face, looming over him, blocking out everything else. The memories kept playing through his mind, faster and faster until he woke up, gasping for breath, sweat all over his body. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to calm down, composing himself and burying all the horrors down below a fresh wave of determination. Opening his eyes again, he rose from the bed, all the emotional traumas seemingly gone, wiped from his face. Only his eyes told the truth, of the pain and hurt he had received.

He went in search of Shadow, the mansion a maze to him still. Failing to find him, he instead ended up in _somewhere_ , with glass tubes and silvered mirrors, artificial Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Drives, and those special platinum-vapour deposited Chaos Conduits, which all focused on one place. All the Chaos Energy in the room was making him uncomfortable, as it sparked and reacted with the magical power within him. His magic stirred inside him, the intrusion of a foreign power awakening it to defend him. He stayed his magic with a barest hint of will, examining each piece of glassware and comparing it to his memory, to see which was which. Circling the room, he passed a Chaos Energy detector, which instantly shot into the red zone, yet the frequencies did not give a single peak. It was detecting a massive amount of energy, but not a specific kind.

"Hmm…my lab detector is observing a massive surge of energy with unresolvable frequencies. I think your boyfriend is in my lab. You should have showed him around, and not let him blunder around." Gerald remarked, while finishing the rest of his coffee. Shadow sighed. "He's not my boyfriend…yet." Gerald grinned knowingly. "You say he's still thinking of Silver, while you are still thinking of Sonic?" Shadow tsked, annoyed at Gerald's subtle hints. "No, I'm not. He's with Tails now, and he deserves a nice life together with that fox. Let's go find him."

They strode into the lab to see Mirius bent over a Chaos Energy detector, poking around at it. Gerald cleared his throat, and Mirius stood up sharply, a sheepish grin on his face. "I got lost after I went looking for you…" he trailed off, seeing that neither Gerald nor Shadow had any hint of anger on their faces. "You aren't going to yell at me?" Gerald looked at Shadow meaningfully, and Shadow rolled his eyes. "Oh no, we aren't, because it's not your fault," Gerald chuckled, nudging Shadow, who just bumped him back with his elbow. "Well, if you want me to get out, it's okay too." Mirius replied, already looking to leave. Gerald shook his head. "If you don't mind, can I use you for some experiments?" Mirius looked questioningly at them, but acceded. "Alright then."

Gerald sat Mirius down in a chair, Shadow seated close by, holding up a small whiteboard and a marker. "Now, don't move," Gerald cautioned, setting a Chaos Energy detector in front of him, and noting how it immediately went crazy. Mirius absentmindedly touched it, and almost immediately cut his finger on the nanometer-thick edge of the lens. "Ouch!" he cried, his blood trickling over the lens, and immediately the Chaos Energy detector resolved its chart into one singular frequency, of a very high amplitude, similar to a Chaos Emerald. Gerald frowned. "What on Mobius was that?" he said, dabbing off the blood on the lens with a tissue paper, and seeing the readings go crazy again. "Can I have some of your blood, Mirius?" Gerald asked, studying the spectrum intensely. Mirius grimaced. He hated needles, and especially ones that went into his veins. Screwing up his courage, he nodded slowly. Shadow rubbed his shoulder, ruffling the cream fur and brushing the white quills. "It'll be alright."

Gerald inserted the needle into his arm, and Shadow held his shoulder as Mirius gritted his teeth, feeling the needle suck it his insides, and saw the dark liquid fill the syringe. The dark liquid has a faint silver cast, and Gerald scowled at it. "What the hell is in your blood, Mirius?" he asked, studying it intently. "Uhhh…magic?" Mirius replied, Shadow nodding. Gerald frowned at them both. "You've got to be kidding me." He said, before throwing the light switches. In the gloom, they could see Mirius' blood, glowing a faint silver in the darkness, the pale light of it barely visible. Gerald immediately typed a prearranged code into his computer, and his lab locked, the windows darkening and systems activating to sweep for any spy devices. When it was cleared, Gerald leaned forward, face serious.

"Mirius, you are a source of immense power, renewable energy, in fact. If what you are saying is true, that you do have magic, it is very, _very_ powerful indeed. And if I know the President, he will immediately cart you of for investigation and experimentation, like my poor Shadow was for G.U.N. So, please, keep this as secret as possible. If you want a gauge of how much power you can provide, here it is." Gerald produced a chart, showing the two bars. They were nearly equal in height. "This is the power output of a Chaos Emerald, and this is your magic. Such a lucrative power source, that the President and the Commander would be delighted to exploit." Mirius nodded, understanding. "I know, Professor." Gerald stared into his eyes longer, then turned away, satisfied. "But will you do one thing for me? I don't nearly have the power I need to bring back the dead. But if you contributed…" he trailed off, the meaning clear. "Yes… yes I will, Professor. I will help you bring back Maria."

They headed to the living room, where N.I.C.O.L.E had cleared their confiscated stuff, and left only a few things of concern on the table. "What is this?" Gerald asked, picking up the magical sword, feeling the strange lightness. Shadow drew it, showing Gerald the blade, simple, yet elegant. Gerald touched it, and almost cut himself. "Does it have magic too?" he asked, passing a Chaos Energy detector over it and almost dropping it from the force of its alarms. Shadow shrugged and handed Gerald a gun. "Shoot me, Grandfather." He said, taking up a stance with the sword. Gerald looked down at the gun, then raised it to shoot.

The gunshot echoed through the living room, and Shadow moved _impossibly_ fast. Warned by the magic of the sword, he had angled the blade into a static block, the flat of the blade seething with white light suddenly. The bullet had struck the flat and ricocheted off, bouncing off the floor. "Yes, it has magic, Grandfather." Shadow said, deadpanned. Gerald rolled his eyes, and then indicated the training room. "I want to see what advantages magic offers you," Gerald said, striding forward to open the door. Shadow and Mirius followed, going down to the actual fighting place.

Gerald stood at the observation deck, twiddling the knobs. "Set to impossible mode, N.I.C.O.L.E." he said, while looking at Shadow and Mirius. Mirius had his hands up, and Gerald could see the glow of silver light wreathing his hands. "Begin," he said, watching carefully.

They stood back-to-back with each other, as the robots approached, steps slow and measured. Mirius looked at them nervously. "I don't think they are as easy to defeat as demons, Shadow." He received a grunt in reply. "Yeah, well, demons don't exactly know hand to hand combat do they?" N.I.C.O.L.E had replicated many Chaos Blades and so, there were six with blades and 3 three with guns. "How many bullets can you catch on your sword, Shadow?" Mirius asked. "As many as I need."

Two robots leaped at them, a classic pincer move to catch both of them off guard. Unfortunately, the first one was decimated in a hail of silver light and the second cut in half at the waist. "Not bad, not bad at all, both of you," Gerald congratulated, sending two more to replace those destroyed. Mirius looked strained. He had expended more energy than he should have, in his panic, and wasted so much vaporising an entire robot. _Got to use elemental magic then, at least part of it is powered from the earth._ He made quick arcane gestures, drawing from the earth's magic, and threw it in a hail of lightning bolts. Electricity streaked out, striking the robots in spectacular flares of sparks, and would have been successful if the robots did not have surge-protected circuits. "Damnit," Mirius muttered as the robots kept coming. "I'm out of tricks, any idea what to do now?" Shadow grinned. "Follow me."

He sprinted at the nearest one, the magic of the sword flaring to life, cutting titanium steel as if it were paper. The robot collapsed as the rest shot at Mirius and Shadow, Mirius using his magic to shield himself in a protective shroud of magic that allowed him to slip the attacks and Shadow just bulldozing his way through, the power of the magic singing in his blood. His sword flashed in dazzling circles, the magic shattering anything that tried to harm him, blazing brilliant white. Mirius trailed after him, blasting any that still stood with silver light, conserving his own magic. Gerald thought for a second, then dispatched a robot he had built, inserting the vial of Mirius' blood into its principal weapon.

The robot stepped out, a strange contraption on its arm. Mirius turned to it, blasting it with magic, but to his surprise, it was sucked into the contraption. "Shadow!" he cried, hurling more magic at the robot, all of which were absorbed and rendered into power for the robot. A sizzling blast of _plasma_ flashed out and struck Mirius' defences, almost shattering them, barely being dissipated by his protective magics. As it were, he was flung back, and crashed into the ground, rolling to his feet. Shadow charged the robot, sword swinging in great sweeps, but the magic was siphoned off, making each attack ever more taxing on Shadow, as the blade drew from Shadow's own energy to power its magic. Without the magic, the sword was just a simple article of steel, and bounced off refined titanium steel, leaving both surfaces undamaged.

The robot spat more plasma at Shadow, and he barely managed to block, the sword feeling heavy and cumbersome as he was exhausted, the magic weakening accordingly. Sizzling heat washed past his face as the magic of the sword depleted, leaving its protection weaker, not fully protecting him from the heat. Shadow staggered back, and Mirius caught him, thrusting out his hand to slam the robot back with a wave of force, splintering an arm, sending shards of deadly-sharp metal flashing around. He fell as the reaction force slammed him back into the ground, dragging him across the rough concrete. Shadow raised his sword again, the magic flaring to life again, as he summoned whatever strength he had left to raise the weapon one last time. Leaping, he jammed the blade into the hole into which the magic was sucked into, and took his hands off the blade.

As soon as he broke contact, the sword's light flickered, and went out, leaving the robot's drainer jammed. Leaping, he kicked violently at the robot, sending it staggering off to the repair bay. Mirius got up from where he was thrown by the magic he used, and limped over. Shadow caught him just as he fell over, revealing blood-soaked pants from where he had scraped against the rough ground. "Easy there… don't die just now," he muttered, scooping Mirius up into his arms and walking upstairs to where N.I.C.O.L.E and Gerald waited. As he climbed Mirius chuckled softly.

"I seem to keep ending up in these kinds of situations, huh? And then you end up carrying me off." Shadow grinned down at him, a rare expression for him, but he did not meet Mirius' eyes. He did not want his feeling pouring out and possibly sending the poor guy back into shock. Mirius rambled on, "And you somehow seem to be there whenever I need someone, and you can help me and–" he halted in his ramblings suddenly, head sharply lolling to the side. Shadow brushed at his face, opening his eyelids to see dull, unfocused eyes, staring into nowhere, and touching his face to find it deathly cold. A horrifying realization struck him, and he glanced down to Mirius' leg, to see a three-inch long shard of titanium steel buried in his leg, and the blood was _coursing_ out, not just seeping out. _Oh fuck, it hit an artery!_ Shadow screamed mentally, breaking into a run, shaking Mirius to wake him up.

"N.I.C.O.L.E! Emergency medical assistance required!" he screamed, running into the medical bay in his house, dumping Mirius on the bed, which instantly soaked a dark red, tinged with silver. Mirius was barely awake, drifting in and out of consciousness, while Shadow slapped him to wake him up. "It…hurts…a lot….in my leg." He mumbled, while machines rushed about him, sticking needles and whatnot onto his body. "His heart rate is skyrocketing, but his pulse is too weak," N.I.C.O.L.E muttered into his ear, while he gently shook Mirius to keep him awake. "Go...away…so…very…very tired," he mumbled weakly. "And so…" he did not finish the sentence, closing his eyes immediately.

"We're going to have to do a blood transfusion. Do you know what is his blood type?" N.I.C.O.L.E asked, while removing the metal shard, and scanning for more. There were none left. "I think it's O+," Shadow answered, sitting to wait for Gerald to arrive, which he did in a spectacular fashion, lab coat flying as he ran into the medical bay. "Is he alright?" he panted, age catching up with him. N.I.C.O.L.E shook her head, an obvious negative, but indicated that they should observe. N.I.C.O.L.E had only just removed the shard of metal, and yet the area had ceased to bleed, flesh slowly knitting back as a faint silver light flickered over his body. "He seems to heal faster than normal, but he still needs that blood transfusion, or he's actually going to die," N.I.C.O.L.E said, already preparing the machine. "But he'll be okay after the transfusion, right?" Shadow asked, worry etched into every line of his face. "Yes, indeed," N.I.C.O.L.E answered soothingly, pushing the needle into Mirius' arm, and watched as the blood flowed into his body, bringing back some colour to his pale face.

* * *

"Oh...Solaris…" Mirius groaned, pushing himself up on the bed when he woke. "Why do I keep waking up in beds? This has to stop." He muttered to himself, somewhat annoyed at this repeated phenomenon. Swinging his legs off the bed, he overbalanced and fell over, crashing into the floor with a muffled _thud._ _Everything is spinning,_ he thought to himself, and rolled over, slowly coming to his feet this time. _I feel so old._ Gritting his teeth, he inched to the door, and holding onto it for support, drew in a deep breath, and composed himself, summoning all his will to hold himself upright, despite all the physical and emotional trauma he had been through. Drawing on all the reserves of his strength, he started to climb down the stairs.

He barely made it down, and only managed to by sheer force of will, holding on tightly to the handrail. His head spun, but he staggered to the couch, collapsing into it with a sigh of relief. Looking out at the window, he saw that the sky had darkened, and it was snowing. _Four p.m. already huh…_ he thought, closing his eyes and falling fast asleep on the couch. His last thought was, _why did I bother even coming downstairs?_

Shadow was lying down on his bed, when he listened to the faint thumps from the medical bay, and snuck over to his door, peeking out to see Mirius make his way downstairs, admiring the strength of will he had, pushing himself to go on despite having just underwent a massive blood transfusion. He rolled back onto his bed, thinking. _Sonic is cool and all, and he has an incredible body to match, but… he already has Tails. But Mirius… he's something else completely. He has an incredibly complex personality, but also….is one of the nicest people I know, and he's something that just….draws me to him. Hmm….._ he thought, mind flickering to back when he first had seen Mirius.

 _It was the first day of high school, and Mirius had just entered the MHSSA, with his two best friends from middle school, Cream and Rouge. Sonic and the rest of his friends, Shadow included had met them, all of them having been friends in primary school, but while most of them had stayed on as close friends through middle school, Mirius developing close ties with Cream and Rouge the shady-ass bat, Knuckles had started hanging out with those in his sport, boxing. The muscles-bound idiots had found a common ground with him, and he had fallen from them. He remembered Mirius being somewhat quiet after Knuckles had left, and after a few years, had figured out why. Knuckles had been in his group in church, and seeing him act so hypocritical was unnerving. Shadow was no Solarian, having been educated in all the sciences, and could barely be bothered with Knuckles, but could barely comprehend why Mirius would act like that over some idiot._

 _He always suspected he wasn't entirely straight, and a genuine affection for Sonic proved that. He had restrained himself from acting upon it, pushing through his irrational urges and computing the good parts of Sonic, as well as his flaws. He could not break the law over some whim of his heart. He had seen that Sonic put his pride and ego above most, barely checked by his good nature to help people. Eventually he would go on to get Tails as his boyfriend, damning Amy. Amy…was extremely religious. Almost a fanatic, she would go around converting people, and expecting Solarian-type behaviour of everyone. Yet, she too had her flaws, falling for Sonic and declaring he was hers._

 _Silver and Blaze were more of an enigma to him. Silver was more of a 'keyboard warrior' than anything, preferring the realm of the digital to the real world. He couldn't think of anything at all that could cause Mirius, so calm and controlled at all times, to hopelessly throw his feelings away for such a bland personality. Blaze he had gone out with for a while, to mask his true feelings, but had barely interested him. He was vaguely ashamed of what he had done, but dared not to press further. He had kept many things from Blaze, and upon stepping on the threshold of Blaze's life, found it almost as plain as Silver's. Anime, manga, and chatting with people, having barely anything else. Sure, they had the use of some strange powers, but Mirius had far more potent powers, and was far, far more committed to things than either of them. And he truly_ cared _for people. He cared so much about people's feelings that he hid his infatuation for Silver under a wellspring of sheer determination. Shadow considered himself fortunate about having learnt this. He appreciated the capacity to truly care and love another person, having lost one such person young._

He sighed, snapping out of his reverie. _Maria…if only you were here. You could guide me, you were so much better about matters of the heart._ Gathering his thoughts again, he looked at the clock, and was surprised to see that it was five already. Rolling off his bed, he started walking downstairs. It sure was convenient with Mirius staying at his place, with so many opportunities to tell him.

Upon reaching the base, he saw Mirius sprawled out on the couch, a small peaceful smile on his face as he dozed, completely free of the hurt and despair that had clouded his face when he was thinking of Silver. Staring into his completely calm face was soothing to Shadow, as if it erased _his_ own problems. _Well, it would, if he loved me too,_ he thought wryly, drinking in the sight of his loved.

Suddenly, Mirius stirred, roused by the vibration of the phone in his pocket. Eyes cracking open, he caught sight of Shadow hastily turning away, but not before he caught a glimpse of his unmasked feelings, written all over his face. Groaning, he pushed himself up, fishing out his phone. He placed his finger over the home button, unlocking it by fingerprint, before opening it to see Cream's reply. He slowly remembered what happened. He had sent a transcript of Silver and his argument to Cream and Rouge, having already told them his feelings about Silver. Cream had written a lengthy assay of Silver's argument, and had closed off with a simple and short analysis: Silver is just not good enough for you if he thinks that people like you are abnormal. Closing his eyes, he forced himself not to cry. _Enough weeping over this asshole already,_ he told himself, steeling himself to face his feelings. He searched his heart, finding his infatuation of Silver completely baseless. What did he have to offer that he did not have? He had destroyed every chance that Mirius had given him, his complete disdain for people with such orientations being the last straw.

But, upon pushing all of that away, he felt strangely… _empty._ Having liked Silver for four years, and falling in love with him for the last one, he suddenly had… _nothing._ The void where Silver had once been was huge, spanning across most of his heart, because he had prioritized Silver over many, _many_ things in life, and throwing him out was completely ripping him apart from inside. Clenching his fists and biting his lip, he was enormously surprised to feel the one solid pillar in his life – Shadow – wrapping his arms around his body. He could hear his deep, yet soft voice whisper soothing nothings into his triangular ears, his warmth filling the cold void Silver had left. Instinctively, he wanted to fall into that warmth that Shadow emanated, the solid assurance that he could provide. But he held himself back. _Can I really give him my feelings, even after I ruined them on Silver? Will he still want me after I got touched by that creep? Am I even good enough for him?_ As if reading his thoughts, Shadow's low voice answered, "You are always good enough for me, because you are perfect." Mirius stiffened. Did he hear correctly? Shadow _liked_ him? Slowly, he whispered, "How long have you liked me for?" Shadow was quiet for a while, before replying, "I've liked you since I was friends with you, but I only fell in love with you near the middle of high school." There, it was out. Mirius closed his eyes. "And you never told me?" Shadow was still a while longer. "No, because I was unsure how you would react." Mirius opened his eyes. "Then ask me now, and I'll give you an answer." Shadow pulled Mirius closer to him, until his mouth was at his ears. "Mirius… I love you, but can you love me back?"

"Yes."

Shadow's eyes blazed with joy, so bright and vibrant, that had not been there since the incident on the A.R.K. "Really?" he asked, almost thinking he was in a dream. Here, the love of his life, saying yes! Mirius nodded, pushing his head into Shadow's soft fluffy white chest. "Yes, I do. You've been there for me when I really needed it, and I was blind, not to have seen you for what you were to me. So, yes, Shadow T. Hedgehog, I love you."

Shadow was already crying tears of joy. This was not a dream! He held Mirius tighter, both of them ascertaining that each other was there, and real, tangible. Gerald had been going to the kitchen, and had quietly snuck past, so not to disturb. "I tell him to go slow, and here he is, already with that guy. Hmmph." He muttered to himself, fixing himself a sandwich. Secretly, he was ecstatic that Shadow, his surrogate grandson, was happy, with another person in his life. "Maybe I should have made some device for that, so he'd be happy faster, hmm." Gerald mumbled, already thinking of the possibilities of Mirius' magic to revive Maria. Sneaking past them again, he went upstairs, where he swabbed a little of Mirius' blood on his lenses and used it to take readings. "Work work work work work work," he mumbled, not realising he had just recited the lyrics of a Rihanna song. His nephew, Eggman would be proud; he sung in the shower.

Shadow had finally untangled his body from Mirius' and they sat there, smiling somewhat stupidly at each other. Shadow finally broke the silence, "So what are you going to do about Silver now?" Mirius thought for a while, then realised the answer was simple; in fact, he sat right in front of him. "Oh, screw him, who needs him when I've got you?" Shadow smiled, before Mirius knelt in front of him, fingers touching his forehead. "I want you to see me, and all my thoughts, memories, feelings. I don't want to keep any secrets between us, and I know you don't too, so here we go." Closing his eyes, he opened his mind up completely to Shadow, lowering all the mental barriers that he put for others, that masked his thoughts, revealing the entirety of his soul to his lover, in the stark cold light of complete truth.

* * *

*Gasp* Shadow 3 Mirius! And Silver is a cunt! Well, anyways, I have two diverging paths on how Silver ends up, so please, go to my profile page using internet (not the app) and vote! It's on Silver! And this is sooooo fluff! (Aaaaawwwwhhhhhh)


	9. Chapter 9

Hey, I'm back, with Chapter 9 already! (Gasp so fast) Well, yes, because I have school coming up next month, and I would like to get as much story up as possible, before I have to go back to a daily grind, in a new environment and whatnot, so I'm accelerating the writing process! (Please don't kill me for mild errors) Anyways, I'd just love to read reviews, if any of you would like to put them in, and a Favorite and Follow would be great too! Now, on to the story!

* * *

~Chapter 9~

They both came to a slow mental realisation of their surroundings. Shadow felt himself open his eyes, yet his eyes did not open, rather a mental projection of himself in Mirius' mind did. It opened to a faint glow of afternoon sunlight, or what passed for it in Mirius' mind. Beside him, a faintly glowing figure of Mirius stood, waiting for him, a smile on his face. "Where are we?" he asked, and Mirius smiled patiently at him. "We're in my mind. Vivid imagination equals the nice places you see here." Indeed, they were in a delightful place, standing just outside Mirius' house, perfectly rendered as it was before the tree destroyed it. "It was the result of all the scholarships I had earned," Mirius remarked somewhat sadly, as he realised that all that money was gone, destroyed with the house. "Let's go in, shall we?"

They entered to see the house neat and tidy, a reflection of how Mirius liked his life. Empty photo frames lined the walls, tattered pictures hanging off their gilded frames. Shadow took a look at one, seeing Mirius and Silver at a Chemistry Olympiad, holding up a Liebig condenser and a burette, discussing which experiment to do first, before that picture disintegrated, blowing away into dust. Mirius looked at him sadly. "That was one of the happiest moments in my life, doing what I loved with someone I liked. When I still loved Silver, that is." Another was at a new shopping mall, where they were exploring the place. They had just bought ice cream, and were wandering around, bumping into each other sometimes. Mirius glanced at it one moment longer, before it dissipated into dust too, crumbling away. A new picture sheeted into place, bright and vibrant in the gloomy corridor, seeming to light up the photo frame itself. It was a picture of him and Shadow on the couch, hugging each other, after confessing their love for each other. Shadow looked at him. "Did you just…" Mirius nodded, a small smile on his lips. "This is a memory I'll cherish, and remember for as long as I can." Shadow nodded, pulling Mirius into another embrace. Mirius gazed up at him from where he lay in Shadow's arms. "You're as beautiful inside than outside…" he whispered, hand stroking mental Shadow's face. Shadow blushed, lifting Mirius back into a standing position, and he continued his mental tour.

"Here's my bedroom, and the memories that I had here," he said, looking back at Shadow. It was a clean, tidy place, but seemed devoid of many things, except a small, faintly glowing silver orb near the bed, on a low cupboard. Mirius touched it, and suddenly, they were in a whole new place. It was the night they had made their escape to Shadow's place, him, Blaze and Silver. It was also here that he performed his first major feat with magic, shattering the tree. Shadow watched the whole memory through Mirius' eyes, eventually to the part where he greeted them completely nude, cringing slightly. Mirius noticed, and rubbed his shoulder gently. "Hey, if anything, I _liked_ that sight." Shadow grimaced, although he could barely suppress a grin. The reason Mirius had barely shown any emotion was because he was exerting all of his self-control there and then, forcing himself to think properly. Otherwise he would have probably just said something like "Fuck me" right there and then.

The memory shrunk away as soon as it was finished playing, and they were back in the bedroom, and they went down to the garage laboratory that Mirius had. Upon opening the door, Mirius grimaced. "Quite boring in here, all my knowledge of science and whatnot is in here." Indeed, Shadow could see floating structures, long organic molecules, formulae such as the acid dissociation constant and the ideal gas equation of PV = nRT. On the lab table he could see a process that Mirius had been studying, the Grignard reaction and its mechanics. Mirius skirted the table, instead going to the locked cabinet that Shadow had seen, the reinforced titanium steel cabinet. Opening it was simple; a biometric sensor opened at Mirius' touch, and instead of deadly chemicals, it was the list of all the deadly crap inside that cabinet in real life. Mirius closed the door, dusting his hands off. "Well, that's all the shit that's in here, so wanna go somewhere else?" Shadow nodded, and they exited his house, standing in the road outside. "Do you have a specific question you want to know?" Mirius asked, eyes meeting Shadow's, a luxurious dark brown touching on fiery ruby red. Shadow thought for a moment.

"Do you feel comfortable showing me your memories of just now?" he finally asked, Mirius not understanding at first. "You know, when he touched you…there." Understanding dawned in Mirius' eyes, as well as fear and pain. But he nodded. "I'll show you more than that," he replied, voice dropping to a whisper. "But, we will need to go to a very special place," Mirius said, before whisking them both away with barely a thought.

As they shot away, Shadow could feel the environment changing, the air growing colder and more oppressive, the atmosphere becoming hostile and threatening. He could feel all the hurt, pain, heartbreak and despair that Mirius had felt all over the years in the air itself. Feeling a sudden slow down, he realised that they had landed in a dark, gloomy place, devoid of life and light, saturated with pain and suffering. No grass grew, although Mirius could make it if he wanted it to; it was his mind after all. They stood before a deep murky river, glimpsing an island in the foggy distance. Finally, Mirius spoke. "This is where I keep all my bad memories, all the hurt and pain that I've felt. All those dark memories, I hide here. Let's go." He pointed at a small rowboat in the water, and they two of them got into it. Mirius lifted his hand at the oar, and it started paddling by itself, the boat moving almost silently across the sluggish water.

Soon, they had landed on the gloomy island of dark memories, and were walking to the large safe standing alone in the centre of the island. Shadow could discern, from what Mirius' mind told him, that the safe was made from sheer willpower, to prevent the horrible memories from swamping him, and overwhelming his fragile emotions. _Built on a wellspring of sheer determination,_ Mirius' subconscious whispered to Shadow. "Let's see my worst times, shall we?"

Cautiously, he went up to the safe, opening it slowly, and was relieved to find the memories still held there, small glowing orbs that vibrated violently, almost exploding out when the safe was opened. Shadow walked up behind him, and rested a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm here for you. I always will be." At that reassurance, the memories stopped vibrating, and lay still in the safe. Mirius picked one up, and held it up to Shadow. "This is what happened before."

* * *

They appeared, in their tent again, the night that Mirius had argued with Silver through Blaze. Shadow heard everything again, but now realised why Mirius was so hurt by it. It represented that he had no chance with Silver at all, absolutely no possibility of being with him. Ever. And that _hurt_ , to suddenly be indirectly told that Silver disliked people like him. Sure, he wasn't a transgender, but Silver had a distaste for 'unnatural' people, and homosexuals were part of that group. But as Shadow embraced him, he could feel the hurt already evaporating, dissipating. Taking all the hurtful memories, he and Shadow experienced them all over again. Shadow could feel the nauseating pain of the pervert squeezing Mirius in a place private to him alone, and could sense his helplessness. But all that faded away in the presence of his love, his one and only Shadow, that brought him such joy, even as young as this relationship was. Slowly, all the past hurts, emotional traumas, depressions disintegrated, leaving nothing but a lingering joy, born of Shadow's mere _presence_. Returning to their physical bodies, Shadow realised that Mirius was hugging him, sobbing quietly, not out of sorrow, but pure joy and gratitude. "Thank you," he kept saying over and over again, rubbing his face in Shadow's white chest fur, while he patted Mirius' head. "There, there, it's alright now."

* * *

Suddenly, Mirius sat bolt upright, tears still on his face. "My induction! It's on the–"

"Twenty-fifth of December. Yes, I know, and that is tomorrow." Shadow finished his statement for him. Mirius blew out a long breath of relief. "Oh thank Solaris…" He crawled into Shadow's lap, resting his head on his chest, while Shadow rested his chin on the top of Mirius' head, one finger playing with the cream fur on Mirius' arm. Where Silver had bone-white fur, Mirius had a tint of gold to the white, adding to an overall effect of cream fur, that looked so much more _alive_ than Silver's dead ivory. Mirius trailed his finger along the red tracing of Shadow's fur, following it to his hand, where it went under the Inhibitor Rings. Twisting at the edges of the golden rings, he tried to get the rings off, but could barely get them to budge. Chuckling softly, Shadow tapped a concealed biometric sensor on the ring, causing it to cycle open, and dropped off Shadow's hand, before cycling close. Mirius picked it up, feeling the Chaos Energy that the ring contained, feeling it react with his magic. Running his hands along the ring, he determined with his magic that it was gold plated platinum, hardened with Chaos Energy. The platinum enclosed a circular Chaos Drive, which siphoned off excess Chaos Energy, and fed it back when Shadow needed it. _Ingenious design_ , he thought, but realised he should have expected no less of Gerald, scientist extraordinaire.

They could have stayed in that comfortable position for a few more hours, but N.I.C.O.L.E had to interrupt. "Dinner!" she yelled through the speakers that ran through the house, startling the two lovers entwined in each other's arms. "Solaris," Shadow grumbled, standing while effortlessly lifting Mirius as well, who slipped down into a standing position. "Hmm…since you are not allowed to use your magic to defend yourself until you are a full White, perhaps I should teach you another way to protect yourself."

Mirius looked at him, surprised. "How'd you know that?" Shadow shrugged. "Probably cause you didn't blast that creep to dust. Or that your memories contained that info." Mirius raised an eyebrow. "So….now that you know my thoughts, you should know what I want now, huh?" Shadow grinned. "Probably dinner," he said, walking to the dinner table.

* * *

The table was sumptuously laid, with candles and everything, even a small bottle of the expensive, organic fruit juice, no-concentrate stuff. Shadow frowned. "Are we expecting someone tonight? Or is there a special occasion?" N.I.C.O.L.E swirled past him, but he swore he saw a flash of white nanite teeth. "You should bring your boyfriend out on a nice candlelight dinner, dummy!" she said, laughing as she went to the kitchen.

Gerald limped downstairs, holding the handrail for support, each step slow and measured. Age was catching up with him, but he could still walk with dignity, just not very quickly. Mirius saw this and immediately rushed to Gerald's aid, Shadow close behind. "Are you okay, Grandfather?" Shadow asked, concern written all over his face. Gerald waved it off, but Mirius focused his senses inwards, sensing for any ailments or injuries. He found none, only the arthritis that came with old age, and the slowing down of body processes. Those were easily solved, with a burst of healing magic which spread through his body, revitalising the ailing systems and healing the inflammation that the arthritis brought, restoring his body to near-perfect condition. The change was obvious; Gerald walked like a man thirty years younger. "Wow, I feel like I'm just seventy!" he exclaimed, a new spring in his step, catching Mirius as he staggered from the taxing use of the magic. "So, should I call you grandson-in-law?" he enquired of Mirius, while smiling at Shadow, who rolled his eyes. Mirius shook his head, grinning widely. "I'm just going to wait for him to propose to me, then you can call me that," he answered, hugging Gerald, who returned the embrace, before letting go of him. "So, let's see what N.I.C.O.L.E has for us."

It was fantastic, to put it simply. The food was perfectly chosen, having done extensive research on what Mirius liked to eat, and the cooking methods as perfect as could be, achievable only by robotic precision and perfection. As they ate, they talked about things they liked, things they did, each sharing a glimpse into each other's life, bonded intimately by the time that Mirius had opened his darkest parts to Shadow. Now, they talked about his joyful parts, the parts that Shadow did not see yet, and sometimes Gerald would butt in with innuendoes that they both would roll their eyes at. It was a perfect date, with flawless accessories. It was simply wonderful.

* * *

Once the dinner was over, and Gerald had retired off to his rooms to sleep, Shadow had brought Mirius to sneak over to Tails' house. Masked by magic, they crept silently to Tails' window, where he sat on his bed, hungry and bruised, dejected as he was. Sonic had come by earlier, but could not do anything as Amadeus was still hitting him, and apparently, Tails had been refused food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They had brought the leftovers from Shadow's dinner date, and now, they just had to climb to the second floor to reach his room. Shadow accomplished this by his climbing skills, honed by missions and training, fitting his fingers into the cracks in the masonry and climbing up, Mirius waiting for him to reach the second floor.

When he had hauled himself up on the ledge between each floor, he tossed a rope down to Mirius, who looped it around his foot, before Shadow hauled him up as well. They tiptoed to Tails' window, where he sat sniffling, before the shifting of the window alerted him. "Shadow? Mirius? What are you two doing here? If my dad finds you here, he'll _kill_ you!" he whispered harshly, stepping over to the window quickly. "Relax, fox," Shadow said, slipping in, before helping Mirius in, who immediately sealed the door with magic. The door glowed with a faint translucent sheen as the magic took effect, and faded from sight as it held. "Okay, so we brought you some food, because Sonic said you were refused your meals," Mirius said, handing the food container to him. Shadow examined the fox. Bruises covered most of his body, having been the subject of much wrath, he had endured a battering that led to him looking like he had been run over by a tank. No, even a tank would have done less damage. Mirius shook his head sadly, and reached into his pockets for something. That _something_ turned out to be needles. "These cause an instant loss of consciousness," Mirius explained gently, handing Tails' three of the syringes. "Either use them on yourself, if you think you need help sleeping because it's too painful, or when you want to escape a beating. Or you could use it on your father if you wanted to, it's up to you."

Tails looked the worst he had ever been, and the dejection in his eyes was evident. "Will I even be able to see Sonic again?" he asked, almost having lost all hope. Shadow looked uncertainly at Mirius, who looked back, just as unsure. "Err… if you wanted to, you could leave with us?" Shadow ventured tenuously. Tails sighed and shook his head. "No, I can't. My dad will beat me to death if I leave again. He told me." Shadow looked at Mirius again. "Well…we could tell Sonic to come visit you?" Tails sighed again. "He has banned all of you from visiting." Mirius reluctantly drew out a test tube, full of a crystalline white powder. "This is the active ingredient in sleeping pills, extracted and recrystallised. Pour all of it into your dad's coffee, and he will sleep for... hmm let's see…thirty-six hours. Enough time to see Sonic. Go, and enjoy your freedom tomorrow, but do come to my induction. I have local anaesthetics if you want to numb the pain," he said, pointing at the purple under Tails' golden fur. Tails smiled, an expression long since lost in this place of hell. "Thanks… for everything, Mirius and Shadow. I'll try to repay you whenever I can!" Mirius and Shadow just waved it off. "That's what friends are for, right? If I had this problem, I'm sure you'd do the same for me," Mirius said, before easing himself out of the window. "All the best, Tails!" he called, before disappearing into the night with Shadow. Looking down at his hands, he smiled again. Oh, how the tables have turned.

* * *

When the two hedgies, one ebon and one cream, had returned to Shadow's home, Shadow had immediately whisked Mirius off to the training room in the basement. "Why now?" Mirius asked, somewhat longing for a little cuddle up in the bed. Shadow just shrugged off the question. "It's for your protection, and you own good," he said, closing the door to the room. The floor had been cleaned, and Shadow pressed a button, turning the concrete floor into a soft foam mat. "More of Gerald's stuff?" Mirius asked, wondering at the fascinating change. "Never mind about that," he said, walking to the centre of the mat. "Come here, and we'll begin."

Mirius had left his shoes besides Shadow's rocket skates at the shoe cupboard, and all that was left for him to remove was to take off his gloves. Shadow had too removed his gloves, revealing black fingerless ones underneath, and he stood there patiently, waiting for Mirius. Reluctantly, he stepped onto the mat, walking up to Shadow.

"Do you know anything about fighting?" Shadow asked, giving Mirius a once-over, a thorough look through his physique. Tall, slim and barely muscular. Well, Shadow was close to that kind of physique, except he was _extremely_ strong, courtesy of Chaos Energy. Except Chaos Energy could not grow him vertically, and that was had earned him some ridicule. Until he broke their teeth, but that was another thing.

Mirius had been thinking. "Uh…not much?" Shadow nodded, understanding. "Well, watch carefully," he said, demonstrating the moves that had been drilled into him until they were instinct, each movement fluid. Demonstrating a simple set of moves, he gestured for Mirius to try. "Your turn."

Setting his feet, he tried to emulate each move, Shadow pointing out mistakes on every one of his moves and techniques. The moves dictated that he must punch a standing post, and he did, only to wince as he shook his bruised fist. Shadow grabbed the hand, and looked at it, shaking his head. "Alright, because your fingers aren't that strong, we'll have to take a different approach for you. Try using an open palm, and hitting it with the heel of your hand," he instructed. He did, at the post flapped back as the force carried through, and his hand barely hurt. "This is great!" he exclaimed, as Shadow smiled at him. They continued until eleven, the sound of instructions and corrections muted by the door, as well as the occasional thud of the post being hit. Mirius was a fast learner, Shadow had to admit, his moves become more fluid. But he still lacked the muscles, and that would be telling, in a strength to strength battle. Technique could only go so far. Shadow finally called it off, and the sequences stopped, as Mirius turned to regard him, wet with sweat. Shadow almost cummed right there and then, seeing how completely arousing Mirius was, his quills dancing in the lights with sweat.

"Okay, how about a little sparring match?" Shadow asked, Mirius sighing before he put his hands up. Shadow clenched his fists, black fingerless gloves taut as his fingers curled. "Begin," he said, already throwing a punch forward. Mirius was almost completely thrown, and barely blocked the hit. Shadow smiled grimly. If he had taught him more than the basics of hitting, Mirius would have seen the hit for the opportunity it was. His form was perfect, but it was basic, and easily probed and evaded. On Mirius' part, he was somewhat surprised that basic as it was, he was doing a pretty good job defending himself, his reflexes saving him more than once. He tried for a punch, and was immediately deflected, with Shadow punching his back lightly. Somewhat annoyed that Shadow was _still_ evading his hits, he tried again. When Shadow punched him, he blocked it to the side, and drove two stiffened fingers into his shoulder, causing Shadow to gasp and look at his now limp arm. "How the hell do you know that?" he exclaimed, knowing for a fact that hitting pressure points were a far ways off, G.U.N military only teaching them to its agents. Such as he. "Err….. I read Grey's anatomy?" Mirius said, before rubbing the place where he had hit, bringing back feeling to the arm. "So, can we go now?" he asked, massaging the arm and quashing the pins and needles. Shadow grimaced, walking up with Mirius beside him. "Yeah, sure, we can bathe and then go and sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."

While Shadow was undressing in the bathroom, Mirius had picked the lock with a simple magical manipulation, and had quietly opened the door. "Miss me?" he asked cheekily, seeing Shadow completely undressed. "What the hell?!" Shadow exclaimed, spinning around suddenly, pretty sure he had locked the door. "Well, we both use stuff from LUSH, and I somehow _'forgot'_ how to use it, so I'm coming in here, with someone I _really_ like, to learn," Mirius said coyly, easing himself in through the door, slipping out of his clothes as he did. Shadow's eyes widened. "No touchy-touchy, though," Mirius grinned at him, breaking _his_ own rule, hugging Shadow while the water poured down on both of them. "Sex only after we get married, Shadow. If we get married." Shadow shook his head, water sloshing out of his quills and running down his muscled body. Lean and hard, yet with a nice blend of curves and lines, Shadow was absolutely _gorgeous._ Hot, sexy and cute all rolled in one. And so far, only Mirius had caught his heart. Mirius allowed himself a small smile. _All mine,_ he thought, before they broke the embrace, washing each other with designer soaps, having the time of their lives.

* * *

Gerald woke to the sound of running water, and muted giggling. There was one, no _two_ voices in Shadow's room, and it was somewhat disturbing, although he heard none of the moans that presaged sex. Pressing his ear to the wall, he could faintly hear the soft voices and the quiet chuckles as water splashed. _Having fun or not, this is murder on the water bills,_ he thought, rolling his eyes. Lying back down, he closed his eyes, and fell asleep, dreaming of the time when he could still hear Shadow giggle. Ah, how long it had been, when they were still on the A.R.K, and Shadow had still been young. With Maria.

Mirius shook his head, spraying water from his quills all over Shadow, who did the same thing, before they both started giggling again. "You've….gotta….HAHAHAHAH….stop." Shadow gasped, while snorting with laughter, suds still on his fur. Mirius pulled two towels and threw one at Shadow, who caught it effortlessly, before running himself under the water to get rid of the rest of the soap. "Let's get dressed, hmm?" he said, turning away before the look on Shadow's face could make him start laughing again. "We should use your bathtub some time," Mirius said, dumping the now wet towel into a bin that sent it to the dryer. Shadow towelled off, throwing his towel into the bin too, before walking out after Mirius. They collapsed into his king-sized bed, Mirius the only one dressed. Pulling on Shadow's shoulders, he drew himself closer to Shadow, cuddling up and resting his head on his chest, nestling himself in his white chest fur, while Shadow wrapped his arms around him. "Goodnight," they whispered to each other, drifting off to sleep with a sense of reassurance neither of them had felt in a long time.

* * *

Silver and Blaze had parted early, at the police station, and Silver was still unreasonably annoyed, picking at his gloves and the rings on his wrists, the glowing lines flickering with anxiety. Blaze was silent the whole trip back to their home, and had disappeared into her room after they had arrived back at their home. She wasn't afraid of her brother, but Silver concealed many things under his quiet outside façade. She wasn't exactly sure what would be underneath. _It is sort of a good thing that he's quite anti-LGBT?_ She thought to herself as she flicked through all her messages, seeing her chat with Mirius. He had told her that he liked Silver quite a while ago, but she had been disgusted. How could her brother attract another guy? She had been hoping quite the opposite, that her brother would belong to her only, especially seeing his quiet exterior. Apparently someone liked that. She had little experience with relationships, and had almost destroyed her friendship with Mirius that way, not realising the depth at which Silver was affecting Mirius. She shrugged at that memory. _Might be for the best,_ she thought, reaching for her phone, before stopping herself. _He hasn't talked to me in a long time… wonder what's up with him now._ A small grin passed over her face as she remembered how Silver had won that argument with Mirius, and that smirk widened as she thought about it more. _Ahh….what an idiot to think that he could be good enough for my bro._ She flicked through her messages with Mirius, reading and giggling to herself.

 _Mirius: I think I'm in love with your brother._

 _Blaze: WTF noooooo impossible!_

 _Mirius: I think so…_

 _Blaze: I'd never think that he'd attract a man…_

 _Mirius: You wanted him to attract a woman?_

 _Blaze: No, I wanted him to attract no one, and love me forever! :D_

 _Mirius: WTF EEWWWWW INCEST!_

 _Blaze: NOOOOOOO not incest!_

 _Mirius: …then?_

 _Blaze: So you're gay?_

 _Mirius: Uh...duh?_

She grimaced as she read that. It was a secret he told her, and indeed while she had not spilled it, she was horrified at the thought of a gay guy _liking_ Silver. Disgusting. Their chat progressed, almost like spam.

 _Mirius: I think I would do anything for him, so you think that qualifies me?_

 _Blaze: Just a question. Would you_ die _for him?_

 _Mirius: Yeah, I would._

 _Blaze: YOU IDIOT! YOU SHOULD LEARN TO LOVE LIFE, STUPID!_

 _Mirius: Is life worth living without someone or something you love?_

 _Blaze: …._

 _Mirius: Anyways, why are you so against homosexuals? So homophobic. Bitchy cunt._

 _Blaze: ….I'm okay, just not my bro._

Then she cringed as she continued reading. It had degenerated to disgusting, protective kind of talk.

 _Blaze: IF, and only IF you somehow manage to marry him, will you have sex with him?_

 _Mirius: If he wants it, I mean, he's who I love, and I'll give him the freedom of choice._

 _Blaze: … If you come near him, I'll cut your cock off._

 _Mirius: …WTF…_

 _Blaze: I will! I have the knives from the hospital._

 _Mirius: …they are called scalpels and you're disgusting, Blaze._

 _Blaze: YOU'RE DISGUSTING_

 _Mirius: Many people are offended by that._

 _Blaze: I dun care, I'll have my Silver._

 _Mirius: INCEST!_

 _Blaze: Fk off. U got no chance with Silver, go find someone else._

Blaze smirked a little as she read that, but that smile was soon wiped off her face as she realised that had been a turning point in their friendship, where they hadn't talked in a long while. Until the camp, that is.

Silver was sitting in his room, watching YouTube videos, slowly cooling down. Truth to be told, he had been repelled by Mirius' admission that he was gay, the incident having taken place a long while ago as well as the fact that he was his long-time friend notwithstanding. It was an irrational fear and disgust, but he couldn't care less; it was his opinion, and his to share. He was grossed out too, by Sonic and Tails, the disgusting couple they were. Although he was not a Solarian, he did not believe that gays should exist, as well as any that modified their body to change their gender. Gender _was_ sex, in his thinking. Rolling his eyes, he tossed his phone to its charger, and went for dinner, Blaze calling him already. _Ignore that for the time being, sleep, and hope tomorrow things sort themselves out._

* * *

Mirius woke to bright sunlight streaming in the windows, and wondered blearily if he was to be dragged off into an armoured van that morning, until he realised that he was in the safe arms of Shadow. Shadow, who would do anything to protect him, who would kill and even _die_ for him. He smiled. _Far better basis for a relationship than just looks and a façade that I liked,_ he thought, stretching out contentedly, before easing his way out of Shadow's arms, reluctant to leave, but still, slipping out. Yawning in the mirror, he quickly brushed his teeth, and took a shower, glancing at the clock to check the time. _Already ten?_ He thought, hurrying his shower, drying himself rapidly.

He fairly ran downstairs, earning a few puzzled glances from Gerald, who peered out of his office to see what the pounding on polished wood was. Apparently, it was one frantically panicking boyfriend. Who, it seemed, was wearing no more than a towel around his tall and slender frame. And had fur near the colour of his towel, so Gerald thought he was wearing nothing at first.

Mirius ran downstairs, towel flapping, as he reached the ground floor, grabbing the neatly folded white robe on the table, where he had requested N.I.C.O.L.E to wash in preparation for today. Turning, he disappeared into the ground floor bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Finishing the last fastenings, he felt secure again, at full armour, although there was no sign of that. Only he could sense the powerful wards sewn into the fabric, a melding of cloth and magic, carried in symbols woven in the white cloth with silver thread. Only a small piece of improvisation was evident: black fingerless gloves, a trait he picked up off Shadow. He flicked the cloth sharply, seeing the white pants on his legs under the robe, the cloth falling to his ankles. Satisfied with his look, he unlocked the door, walking out to see a yawning Shadow.

"Oh, I didn't see you when I woke up, so I wandered around looking for you. Why are you up so early?" Shadow asked, before yawning again. "Err….go sit on the couch or something, I'm off for a little bit." Shadow frowned at the strange instruction, before ambling off, dropping into the couch. Silver light shimmered around him as he ran off to the kitchen, planning to cook the only thing he could.

N.I.C.O.L.E was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, confused. Normally, she would be preparing breakfast, but today, Mirius seemed vehement about taking over this duty. "Alright, alright," she acquiesced, leaving the kitchen. Mirius watched her leave, then set to things, humming happily.

"One cup of flour, one cup of milk, and one egg," he muttered, throwing all of that into a mixing bowl, and whisking it with great vigour. He looked at the hotplate, and sighed. _Too high-tech for me,_ he thought, placing a pat of butter into the frying pan and letting it melt as he set the temperature to a hot three hundred degrees. Swirling the pan, he spread the butter out, evening it out with a spatula. Looking at the batter, he scooped some out in a ladle, pouring it into a perfectly concentric circle. Flipping it when the sides looked somewhat solid, he was satisfied with a nice brown colour seared on that side. _Maillard reaction, blah blah blah,_ he thought, toasting the other side and flipping it onto a plate. He repeated the process until he had two stacks of pancakes, then added more butter to the pan and let it sit without heat as he busied himself taking eggs out of the fridge.

Breaking six eggs, he beat them until it was a bright yellow solution, almost as bright as lead(II) iodide. That analogy made him wince. Lead(II) iodide was a potent poison, and he was trying to make a nice breakfast for his boyfriend. _Too smart for my own good,_ the old proverb came back to haunt him. Shrugging it off, he heated the pan, and poured the whole bowl of egg solution into the frying pan, folding in from the edges while swirling the pan. _Too bad Silver didn't get me, or he would have had this!_ He mentally reassured himself, smiling as he thought of who he was making this for. Dividing the scrambled eggs, he plated the halves, before placing the pan back on the hotplate to cool. Carrying both plates, he walked out, the robes swishing against his legs, his confidence and anticipation evident in his hurried long stride.

Setting both plates down on the table, he gently called Shadow over, before gesturing for N.I.C.O.L.E to get two glasses of something to drink. She returned with iced hot chocolate, before whispering sensually to Mirius, "Chocolate is an aphrodisiac," causing Mirius to blush furiously. Gerald walked down, before sneaking back upstairs, careful not to interrupt. "N.I.C.O.L.E, bring me breakfast. I'll be in my office, thank you." He said, sighing as he walked back up the stairs. _Kids these days have no concern for older people and their suffering legs._

Shadow walked over, his stride having the fluid grace of a master of the martial arts, yet his muscles were almost invisible, lean frame hiding much. Mirius caught himself staring, and quickly brushed at the quills that had fallen over his face, pretending to look somewhere else. But Shadow had already seen him looking, and chuckled. "There's no shame in staring at your boyfriend," he chided Mirius, laughing gently. Mirius flushed scarlet, and turned away, sitting in his chair. Shadow slid into the chair opposite him, and looked at him, before turning his attention to the stack of pancakes, the pile of scrambled eggs at the side, and _absolutely_ enormous amount of maple syrup dripping off the pancakes, the large pat of butter on the top melting into the syrup. Mirius slowly met his eyes, while he took a bite of the deliciously sweet pancakes, eyes widening at the taste. "You…like it?" he nervously asked, already reaching for his bag of medicines, and looking for food poisoning tablets. Shadow swallowed, not believing his senses. "It's delicious!" he exclaimed, leaning over to kiss Mirius on the cheek. Mirius smiled, cheeks glowing with a faint rosy hue. "Thanks," he murmured, starting to eat his creation. It was delicious, as Shadow had pointed out, and soon, they had both finished. They were full, cutting the line at just nice, Mirius having calculated just how much would be needed perfectly. N.I.C.O.L.E swept in to clear the crockery, leaving both of them free to wander around.

"So, what do you want to do now?" the deep baritone of Shadow's voice entered his thoughts, cutting through the fugue that lingered whenever he ate a heavy meal. Mirius thought for a bit, before shrugging. "I think I want to go shopping later, and now I'll just read my book." He indicated the massive tome on the table. Shadow nodded, disappearing into his room. The muffled thud of the door closing startled Mirius out of his reading, and made Gerald wonder why was there so much movement. Shrugging, he continued reading, fascinated at how symbols could hold power, disseminating in his mind and storing them away. Slightly eidetic memory made for a study machine that seemed almost relentless, strong enough never to forget things, and coupled with an imagination that allowed him to lock away parts of his memory until he needed them. N.I.C.O.L.E passed by, and thoughtfully handed him a glass of water, before floating away to see to the plants outside in their garden.

* * *

Gerald was wondering at the intricacies of Mirius' blood, and had stuck it in his DNA sampler, to see if his blood held the secret of magic in his DNA. Idly, he had cross-referenced it against the DNA databank that held the genetic code of everyone on Mobius, knowing that Mirius had been left at the boarding home at his school, where he had enrolled in the Mobian Primary School of the Sciences and the Arts, all the way through the middle school and now the high school. All were in a similar compound, spanning many, many kilometres squared. He had done well in school, immersing himself in work as if it was second nature, and had met Silver, Rouge and Cream there, meeting Sonic and the rest in middle school. Yet, he had no parents, although he received some money every month from an anonymous supporter. Strange, Gerald knew. But now, the results he got seemed stranger. He looked at the database again, not believing his eyes. Two people had a match of 99%, and he could not believe either was possible. One was a complete stranger, and the other….was, quite literally, his neighbour.

"N.I.C.O.L.E! Get me coffee!"

Mirius looked up at the yell, at the same time as N.I.C.O.L.E swirled upstairs, a cup of coffee in her nanite hand. Shadow peeked out, but was not surprised. After all, Gerald was a known coffee addict, and he tended to use it to calm himself, an irony of what caffeine was supposed to do. He was, however, surprised when Mirius popped in and asked him for his Inhibitor Rings. Trusting him, he pressed both his rings, watching them cycle open and drop into Mirius' hands, before cycling closed. Mirius smiled, before disappearing downstairs. _Strange,_ he thought, before plugging back his earphones, listening to Ke$ha's Tik Tok while doing up his chemistry worksheets for Earthia. He had just found it, and while it wasn't too difficult, he could feel his mind drifting already, and had to concentrate back on writing on his bed. _Nnhhh…..The structure for methanal is planar, and ammonia and its derivatives are trigonal pyramidal, and Mirius' face is too cute… GAH focus Shadow!_

Mirius was sitting downstairs, scalpel in hand. He hid many sharp and dangerous things on his person, lab stuff the majority of stuff he had on hand. Looking out of the window, he could barely see any hint of golden fur across the street, and guessed that Amadeus had grounded Tails, while he and Rosemary went out, as evinced by the missing car. Sighing, he carved symbols of power into another scalpel, his favourite one, making sure each sigil was perfect, and his small, cursive handwriting was perfect for scribing wards. Concentrating immensely, he etched the bright metal, the wards all strengthening the silvered steel of the scalpel, making it capable of cutting through many things, the wards for sharpness all on the edge of the blade. Finished, he was satisfied with his work, feeling the same feeling after having silver plated the scalpel himself. Touching the scalpel, he sent his magic into the metal, and immediately sensed it being drawn to the symbols, empowering them with life and magic. The glowed fiercely, and faded once they had absorbed as much magic as they could hold, leaving a faint shimmer of silver light. Taking the magic-infused scalpel, he started cutting the symbols into Shadow's Inhibitor Rings, taking the greatest care to make sure each symbol was cut to perfection. The symbols came naturally to him, without practice, as if he had a lifetime of practice. The scalpel slid through the Chaos Energy strengthened gold with ease, and he reminded himself to strengthen the gold later. Nicking his finger twice, he sucked on his finger, wincing as the now magical edge cut him without a hint of hesitation. _Many times as sharp, many times more painful._ He sat there for an hour, painstakingly carving into the Inhibitor Rings, before he was satisfied. The sigils of protection and shielding required far more magical power to sustain than the symbols for cutting and sharpness, and he contemplated how he could put more power into the Rings, without ripping them out and replacing the Chaos Drive with his blood instead of liquefied Chaos Emerald. His blood…..that's it! Holding his hand over the Rings, he drew the scalpel over the base of his fist, letting the blood drizzle down on the rings, and he watched in fascination as the symbols seemed to drink in all the red liquid, turning the gold ring the colour of rose gold, the coppery tinge imbued by his blood. Shrugging, he bandaged up his hand, before touching both Rings, pouring all his power into them, and watched as they glowed brilliantly again, before dimming as they were filled with power. Clutching both Rings in his unbandaged hand, he went upstairs to give them to Shadow.

Shadow was still trying to understand the VSEPR theory of how molecules were shaped, and his tail flicked in annoyance. This all stopped when he heard the creak of his door opening and he turned his head, to see Mirius walk in with a bandaged hand and his Inhibitor Rings, which strangely looked like rose gold now. "Are you hurt?" he asked, concerned at the bandage. Mirius shook his head. "No, not at all. And here are your Rings." He put them on Shadow's hands gently, pressing the catch to cycle them onto his wrists. Shadow looked at them, amazed at the faint silver sheen on them, catching a faint coppery smell from them. "You put your blood on it?" he asked, shocked that Mirius would go to such extremes for him. Mirius smiled at him. "I want you to be safe, and I'll do anything to do that. That was only a small thing," he said, before Shadow crushed him in a hug that drove the wind out of his lungs. "Can't….breathe…" he choked, gasping when Shadow let him go. "I don't know how to thank you…." He said, before Mirius shut him up with a kiss to the lips. "Then don't bother thinking," he whispered, before letting him go. "Alright, it's twelve, let's go shopping."

Shadow nodded, sliding off his bed, throwing off his clothes and pulling out some stuff from his closet. A black coat and a low cut white shirt hit the bed, while he rummaged in his closet for more stuff. Long black slim fit pants followed soon, and Mirius watched Shadow take off his clothes, resisting his desires.

He sat in his white robes, placing things in the various pouches and pockets. A bottle labelled 'pepper spray' slid into a pouch, its contents far, _far_ more lethal. To be specific, hydrogen chloride gas dissolved in diethyl ether, in a Teflon lined, pressure-resistant spray bottle. When sprayed, the ether would quickly evaporate from the surface it touches, and if it got in the eyes, hydrochloric acid would form from the reaction of HCl gas with water. Lethal, and causes blindness. Mirius loved it. Next, a few sealed syringes followed. These were filled with sodium thiopental, and he dared not give it orally after the incident with Rosemary; he heard from the hospital that severe tissue necrosis was about to set in, and had been barely contained. Upon further research, he had wanted to slam his head into the computer keyboard. It was meant to be administered intravenously, and he fucked up, by putting it in coffee. Test tubes of strange things followed; magnesium powder, sulphuric acid to mention a few. Then up his sleeve slid his newly warded scalpel, fitting perfectly into a sheath that seemed to have been sewn in to hide a knife. Apparently the White were not above knifing a member of the Shadow in the back if possible. The thought caused him to smirk at the irony, before he turned to Shadow. Finally, a loaded syringe with a capped needle slipped into a pouch, the cap sealed on with a tear-off seal. This was a concentrated solution of potassium chloride, and if injected into someone, was an instant death sentence. It would cause the heart to, quite literally, stop beating. He had labelled it neatly, with a piece of red tape on the side to mark it as something that would really fuck you up. It would have been quite fitting, had the red tape have not been from a children's stationary shop, and it had smiley faces printed onto it. _Have fun dying, I guess?_

They slid into Gerald's car, Shadow driving while Mirius called shotgun. Gerald had insisted on coming, needing to buy stuff too, but secretly wanting to watch them. He considered himself an adult chaperone, although he was certain they wouldn't do anything funny. Shadow drove nicely this time, with his grandfather and his new boyfriend in the car. They soon reached Central City, and they stopped at the largest mall in town, Shadow driving into the carpark and finding almost no space at all. Interestingly, he saw Amadeus Prower's car too, and wondered what the heck was going on.

They stepped out into the mall after taking the escalator out, and Gerald whistled at the massive place, turning a whole circle. Mirius and Shadow wasted no time, taking each other's hand and running off, while Gerald went off to another shop by himself. White robes and black coat flapping, they ran to the little-known escalator at the back.

They ascended to the third floor, before disappearing around the corner to see the massive Sephora before them. Shadow tsked. "Really? You want me to go here?" Mirius smiled. "Of course."

They entered, one reluctant, one coaxing, and they soon disappeared into the labyrinth of a shop, the size completely overwhelming. The shelves were lined with products upon products, and the needs of beauty were all stocked in here. Mirius headed for the 'Make-up' section, and Shadow stifled a groan. He would probably kill himself if he saw anyone he knew seeing him in here. Mirius walked purposefully, his strides swift and sure, and he stopped before a shelf. Shadow had subtly fished out his sunglasses from his pockets and put them on, and he almost walked into Mirius, the shades messing with his eyes. Mirius was busy looking at eyeliner and eyeshadow, and didn't notice Shadow, who surreptitiously took a sample and looked at it, pretending to look busy. Looking up, he was stunned to see Sonic and Tails, who looked better than yesterday, wandering around the shop, Sonic much, much more comfortable looking at this stuff than Shadow was, having had to buy presents for Amy from here before to get her off his back. Mirius looked up, and saw them, and gestured at Shadow. "Call them over?" he asked, Shadow exhaling heavily before acceding.

Sonic and Tails had been here half an hour already, and Tails had suggested going to Sephora, just to 'look see', he said. So they had gone, Tails having earned his freedom by drugging his father and 'borrowing' his car. Rosemary was still in the hospital from Mirius' little thiopental mess up, and could do nothing. Tails had gravitated to the make-up section, and was infinitely surprised when he saw Shadow there, and was even more surprised to see the cream fur of the faintly glowing hedgie that was Mirius. White robes with black fingerless gloves gave him a 'cool' look, which he no doubt picked up off Shadow. But what they still did not understand were the looks that they exchanged, so close and intimate, just like him and Sonic. Just like him and Sonic…..

"OH MY SOLARIS! You both are an item now?" Tails exclaimed, before clapping his hands over his mouth, Sonic wandering over at the sound. "Woah, Shads, never would expect seeing you here!" Shadow growled. "Don't. You. Call. Me. That." Mirius looked up, and called to Shadow, defusing the situation. "Hey, should I get sky blue or silver?" he asked, one eye with silver eyeshadow, the other with light blue. Shadow looked carefully. "The sliver looks good, but the blue puts some colour on, so your white clothes don't really gel with it." Sonic looked at it, and giggled a little. "I like the blue," he said, earning a small snort from Tails. Mirius wiped off the light blue, and applied some dark blue. "How about this?" Tails grinned. "You look like my Sonic." Mirius scowled at him, before wiping that off too. "So, I'm just getting the silver, alright?" Shadow nodded, and Mirius picked up some liquid eyeliner as well. He stopped at the nails section. "Hmm….I want some polish and maybe colour?" Sonic and Tails followed them, Tails getting a vial of nail polish and some foundation and concealer. "I'll have to put these at your house," Tails said to Sonic apologetically, but Sonic just shook his head. "It's _our_ house, so you can put what you want there. Never would have thought that my little genius would wear make-up though…."

Mirius went to the check-out, pleasantly surprised by the Christmas sale that was going on. All his stuff came in under thirty, and he paid for it, even though Shadow had wanted to. "You don't have to pay for my expenses, you know. Although I appreciate the gesture," he said to Shadow, smiling gently. Shadow nodded, somewhat disappointed, but still alright. They went for lunch after that, with Sonic and Tails, and they talked, about everything that had transpired this morning. "So, I did what you suggested, and dumped the test tube's stuff into my dad's morning coffee. He was out like a light." Tails said, sipping from his Coke. Surprised that Tails would drink soda, Mirius was drinking juice, and was trying to finish his lunch, somewhat regretting making so much for breakfast. Sick of trying, he set his fork down, and Shadow sighed. "Finish it for me, please?" Mirius asked Shadow, eyes wide and begging. Sighing again, he poked at Mirius' stuff before giving up as well.

Suddenly, Tails perked up, and looked at the entrance of the food court. "There's Silver and Blaze!" he said, Mirius turning to see. "Oh, yeah…" he said, waving at them. They headed over, Blaze and Silver dressed in quite surprising clothes, Mirius having seen them in little else than school uniform and during their little camping trip. Silver was wearing a bodysuit, black with white stripes on his sides, the backs of his arms and the sides of his legs. This was cinched at the waist with a simple metallic belt, silver with gold stripes, and like the cuffs on his wrists and boots, had fluorescing blue glows along them. He looked…. _hot,_ like the first time that Mirius had seen him like that, and the long white quills were styled up to spill over his spectacles. Then he glanced at Shadow and was reminded of what was _really hot._ Shadow was sexy without even trying, and knowing him just made him so much more appealing. Silver stopped at their table with Blaze, and they looked somewhat interested in what they were eating, Blaze disappearing to get her food. Bittersweet memories of Silver and him rose, but he quickly put them away, having found the love of his life already, Shadow. Casually, he asked Silver, "Are you coming to my induction tonight?" Silver nodded, smiling. "Yes, of course." Mirius decided to take a peek into Silver's mind, a quick look only, and realised that Silver felt somewhat guilty for lashing out at Mirius wrongly for getting them in trouble. Still, he was repelled by the fact that Mirius was going out with Shadow, and Mirius sensed a certainty in him; if he saw Shadow and Mirius making out, he would report them. Mirius shook his head slowly. _Ah, Silver, you have so much to learn. And also, how the hell do you know that I'm going out with Shadow?_

* * *

Soon, it was six already, and Shadow and Mirius found Gerald, who had arms full of stuff, glass and tubes and even a Chaos Drive. Gerald mumbled something about not enough stuff, but Shadow gently chided him for buying too much. Taking the stuff into the car, Shadow and Mirius got in with Gerald, and Shadow started driving to the Tower of White Sorcery, through the Mystic Ruins and into the Green Hills, where they could see the spire of stone nestled in the hills, Amadeus' car not far in front of them, containing Tails, Sonic, Silver and Blaze. Cream and Rouge still had no idea that he could do magic, but he would tell them when he saw them.

They entered the courtyard of the tower, the gates opened to them, and they parked there, before getting out. The grandeur of the place astounded them all, as it always did. It seemed so vast, so eternal, that it had endured for millennia and would continue to endure. The soaring marble walls and the gilded gates added to the sense of expense, and they quickly walked in, time nipping at their heels. Despite the luxuries of the place, there were pitifully few White, and they all seemed to be headed to a central place, and so, they followed.

They found themselves in a dimly lit hall, with a raised dais, seven people standing upon it. Mirius could see that one of them was Percival and resisted the urge to call out to him. They stood in a group, until the last of the White trickled in, and the doors closed. Mirius dimly realised that he still had his entire chemical arsenal on him, and wondered if that was a bad idea. Silver shifted uncomfortably, telekinesis already glowing around him, to protect him. The crowd of White ringed them, looking at them, until a high, clear voice rang out. "There is no need for protection here; no one here wishes you harm, Silver the Hedgehog." The highmage announced, striding in front, the seven archmages flanking her. Silver looked as if he would argue further, but the highmage pointed a finger, and the glowing turquoise light shattered, shards of it falling away. Silver's eyes widened, but Blaze quickly pulled him back, shushing him. The highmage nodded at her, before addressing the whole room.

"Today, we are gathered to welcome to us, a new member to join our ranks, to preserve the light and ward against the darkness. We have gathered today, to observe the induction of a natural, to welcome our new brother in the art of magic, and to teach and guide him. Mirius, kindly step forward?" she asked, leaning on her staff for support. Old as she was, her eyes were still sharp as she urged him forward with sight alone, her gaze commanding and stern.

Mirius stepped forward, before dropping into a bow. "I am beyond honoured," he said, his voice almost a whisper, but she heard it perfectly. "Now, I will ask you to swear to uphold the mandates of the White."

"Do you swear to first, above all, swear to protect the world's freedom? Against any tyrants, dictators, and especially against the Shadow, who pervert the power of magic to achieve their domination?"

Mirius was surprised. He had not known that the White defended the right of all to be free, but now it made sense. Knowledge and power, to protect and defend, was their maxim. Raising his voice, he replied.

"I swear."

"Do you swear to secondly, use the power granted by the magic and the knowledge of magic wisely, to protect and defend others, and never to deliberately harm another, but only in self-defence?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to thirdly, pledge yourself to the magic, and it's causes, and to aid another of the White within your power, and swear your loyalty to whomsoever bears the White Staff?"

Mirius was puzzled again. White Staff? Which one? He looked around, until the highmage pointed at the staff she carried, the staff more silvery than white, set at the tip with a clear crystal, and he could feel the magical power radiating off it. After an awkward pause when he had been looking around, he cleared his throat and replied.

"I swear."

The highmage raised her staff, and a brilliant blaze of white light shone from the tip, almost blinding Mirius. "I hear your vows, and hold you binding to them, till you die." The rest of the seven archmages raised their staffs, lighting them as well, repeating the one phrase.

"I hear."

When all the seven had said their phrase, the highmage spread her arms. "Welcome," she said, voice gaining a measure of warmth, and Mirius had a thought that she had literally wanted Mirius to go and hug her, and almost started laughing.

At that, all his friends swarmed him, grabbing him and hugging him, their eyes bright with pride. And no other pair of eyes were brighter than the ruby red ones that shone with love for him, hugging him tighter than anyone else, before kissing him on the lips.

 _Awhh cute,_ Gerald thought, as all the White cheered, the highmage with a small smile on her lips, Percival grinning. "Get a room!" the highmage called, before chuckling and walking off the dais, the seven archmages following. Shadow put Mirius down, before giggling a little, earning shocked gasps from all their friends. Shadow giggled? The rest of the White giggled and exited, leaving them all alone.

"Well, so now you are a full White, huh," Shadow said, running his hands in Mirius' quills and down the fur on his neck. "White-in-training," he corrected, before remembering something. "Get me to Percival, pronto." Shadow nodded, running off with Mirius in his arms, bridal style, but had they paid more attention, they would have seen Gerald's face pale.

"Percival! Wait up!" Mirius called, and he turned to see them chasing him, so he politely stood there, waiting for them to catch up.

"Yes?"

"How will I come for lessons? And will the Shadow still hunt for me?"

"Well, lessons seem to be somewhat redundant, but you can come every weekend. I'll give you a calendar which shows all my free time, so you can come down then. As for the Shadow, you've just gotta deal with it, but we'll be watching. You should be more afraid of the government, though," he admonished, pointing out their relationship, illegal as it was. "Oh, and also, keep your magic a secret, because the trigger-happy government is always looking for better ways to destroy stuff, and magic would advance their capability light years ahead into the future. Please do that." Mirius nodded. "I know already, Gerald told me." Percival grunted. "As he should. Well, goodnight to you, you got school in exactly five days time. And church tomorrow too, might I add?" he said, kissing Mirius on the forehead. "How'd you know anyways?" he asked, blushing. Percival shrugged. "Tomorrow's a Saturday, and I know what the timings for church are. Goodbye." He said, smiling at Mirius, who waved back. "Bye!"

They went back to their friends, and they received puzzled looks, wondering where they had gone. Shadow waved them off, saying it was nothing. "Let's go home," Sonic said, yawning hugely. Tails grinned up at him. "My dad is still dead to the world, so how about I come over tonight?" Sonic smiled, the meaning clear. "But you're still going to have to cook dinner!" he said, laughing at Tails' crestfallen expression. But Tails soon perked up. "I think we have stuff that I can cook, although….." Sonic was already shaking his head. "Not in the mood for food poisoning tonight. I think….Shadow can we have dinner at your side? Or if Blaze wants to cook for four tonight?" Blaze shook her head, a clear 'NO'. "Enough with cooking something that Silver eats, now you want me to cook for more?" Shadow rolled his eyes, shrugging. N.I.C.O.L.E could make something, he supposed. But he was going to have to spend his dinner with two other guys, and that could make things awkward.

Silver and Blaze hopped into Shadow's car, where N.I.C.O.L.E would use the automated driver to get them home, while him, Mirius, Sonic and Tails piled into Amadeus' car, Mirius getting to drive. And he did, with careful calculations that cut in front of cars with the barest millimetres to spare. Many honks and vulgarities were hurled at him, all of which he ignored, darting the car through traffic. Shadow had to admit, he was good. He'd take a nap in the meantime, he decided. Closing his eyes, he dozed off amidst a car dancing a deadly spin through traffic, lulled by the strangely soothing twists and turns, the constant quiet hum of the engine sending him off the edge into utter darkness.

* * *

Yes, thank you so much for reading my story, and you know where that white button is! Please review, and have a great day ahead! (Big eyes)

Also, just a little warning for whomever this may concern: If you do not like the ideas that I'm presenting in this creative piece of work, then I "sincerely" apologise, and highly suggest you stop reading. Also, I highly suggest that you get a life and not rant about such works; as mentioned before, this is a creative piece of work, and I think that one has the self control and discretion to select one's own reading material. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10

_Ooooooh sorry guys! I wasn't exactly free, so I haven't been on this site in a while (sorry for the lame author excuses) but when I did, I had an awesome review waiting for me, and so I started writing Chapter 10! Lovely, isn't it! So, moral of this story is, REVIEW, and it shall be given unto you! (Hehe) Anyways, I also discovered a marvel of technology: italics! So, I'm writing this note in italics, for a better look! Seeya at the bottom!_

* * *

~Chapter 10~

They rode to Shadow's home with the windows down, the chill winter air blowing around the insides of Amadeus' car. Gerald dozed at the back with Sonic and Tails, lulled by the same hum of the engine that put Shadow to sleep, and Sonic was fast approaching that state too. Only Tails and Mirius were alert, Tails because of the horrible memories associated with this vehicle, Mirius because he was driving. Left with nothing much to do, conversation was inevitable, Mirius speeding through empty highways to arrive at their destination sooner.

"So, how did you end up with Shadow?"

"Hmm….long story? Very long, but I regret none of it."

"I remember you telling me you had a crush on Silver in middle school?"

"Yes, until he….oh my Solaris, it's a long story, but he basically disappointed and hurt me, okay?"

"Oh…"

Mirius was grateful for the bright lights of Robotnik Residences, anxious to change the subject. Tails had unknowingly flustered him, as he had only told one person the entirety of the story. Silver was an inconsequential crush, compared to Shadow. Albeit a long and painful one, lasting four years, but still.

He pulled into the driveway, Shadow coming awake as the change in speed roused him. Eyes opening slowly, he took in his surroundings, before he exhaled slowly, pulling himself upright. Gerald was slower to wake, and only did after Tails started to push him out of the car, wanting an exit, causing Gerald to grunt and threaten to fail his grades if he _did not stop poking me with your insufferable elbow right now._ Mirius now regarded the technically stolen vehicle. Tapping his foot, he wondered at what he was going to do with it now. He could set it on fire, he supposed, but Amadeus would not take kindly to that.

"Tails, what are we going to do with your dad's car now? It is technically stolen, so yeah." Tails thought for a moment. "Well, we could leave it at my parent's house?" he said, twin tails flicking from side to side. "I'm more concerned if he thinks that you got into a kidnapping again, and asks for fingerprint tests." Tails shrugged, before replying. "Well, then I'll just have to give him no reason to think so." Mirius nodded. "Well, now that's out of the way, let's go in."

* * *

N.I.C.O.L.E had already set the table for five, and it was laden with tasty stuff, and both Sonic and Tails had their eyes widen enormously, and their jaws hit the ground. This was stuff they ate on their birthdays, or for special occasions, and here Shadow ate this _every day?_ Solaris. They set to their food hungrily, while Mirius and Shadow looked on in mild amusement. Gerald hadn't been too hungry, as usual, so N.I.C.O.L.E had prepared a salad for him, and he had gone up to his office to work when he had finished. Sonic and Tails had finished quickly too, and had idly went to the couch to watch TV, entangling themselves in each other's limbs, or in Tails' case, two tails. Mirius and Shadow had observed them for a while, then feeling uncomfortable, as if they were peeping into other people's bedrooms, they snuck downstairs to the training room in the basement. Here they practiced hand to hand combat, Shadow instructing and Mirius suffering. Yet, even though Shadow had indicated many times that Mirius could quit, he never complained, pushing himself up again and again. He worked Mirius till his muscles were sore, training him in all the techniques he knew.

"The objective of this style of fighting I'm teaching you is to redirect and use an opponent's energy against him or her." When Mirius had cocked his head at the word 'energy', Shadow sighed. "No, not the energy like in physics. I mean the momentum that the opponent expends against you. Hit me." Mirius frowned at him. "Like just punch you?" Shadow rolled his eyes. "No, slap me. Of course you punch me, duh!"

Narrowing his eyes at Shadow, Mirius cocked his fist, before throwing a quick punch, already moving into a kick. But Shadow simply flowed around his attack, diverting his punch aside and driving two stiffened fingers into Mirius' thigh, causing his leg to instantly go numb and drop him to the floor in a heap. "Or you can break the opponent's lines of power, that run through his body," he said, helping Mirius back to his feet, before indicating points on the body, telling him to go memorize all of them. "Now, again," Shadow said, setting his feet into a stance. Mirius hesitated a moment, brain throwing a quick sequence of moves, planning ahead for all the moves he would use.

Instantly, he took quick steps forward, before spinning into a roundhouse kick. Shadow passed through his attack like wind, before his hands snaked around Mirius' neck, converting all the turning energy into a throw that sent Mirius flying and landing hard on his neck. He crashed with a loud _whoof_ , the air driven out of his lungs. Shadow tsked, and shook his head, already resigned to Mirius not quitting. "You could have used some of that energy to roll, and reduce the impact," he said, walking over to Mirius, who lay flat on his back, gasping. Rolling to his feet, he brought his hands up again, ready for another round. "Well, let's do it again, then," he said, and Shadow acquiesced, bringing his hands up. "Try not to plan your moves; rather, let them flow into each other."

This time he went in quick and cautious, hands striking swift and precise blows, trying to break Shadow's lines of power to his arms. Knife-hand chops slammed into Shadow's forearms, and stiffened fingers tried to reach the points that would take away feeling, or cause excruciating pain, while his legs were busy trying knock Shadow off his centre, unbalancing him. It wasn't half bad, especially for a beginner, he recognised, before driving a fist into Mirius' ribs, diverting his arm aside before flowing around him, to kick his knees out from behind him. _That's gonna hurt tomorrow,_ he grimaced, looking at Mirius' bruised ribs as Mirius lay there on the floor, regaining his breath. Pushing himself up, Mirius groaned, rolling onto his back and looking up at Shadow. "Let's do that again," he said, and Shadow shook his head. _He's gonna get himself killed._

Puffing, Mirius got to his feet, hands up. Shadow followed, mirroring his stance. This time, for Mirius' benefit, he attacked first, delivering a quick punch, which Mirius trapped, pulling him into a lock, that he barely slipped. Kicking up, he nailed Mirius between the legs, causing him to collapse with a high-pitched squeak, before he rolled up on the floor, gasping for breath. "Solaris, are you okay?" Shadow gasped, bending down over him. Apparently not, as he started retching, saliva dripping out of his mouth. "I didn't mean to kick you there, I'm sorry!" he cried, rolling Mirius on his back so that it would be easier to breathe. Not exactly what he wanted to happen to his boyfriend.

Suddenly, the door to the training room creaked open, and Shadow tensed, ears pricking up. _Was it Gerald?_ He wondered, before he heard the familiar voice of Sonic call down, "Yoohoo, anyone there?" Shadow considered not replying, but the blue speedster had dashed down, followed closely with his two tailed counterpart, to see Mirius lying down with his head in Shadow's lap. "Err, what just happened?" Sonic asked, puzzled.

Grimacing, Mirius slowly stood up, resisting the paroxysms of pain as best he could. "No, nothing much, just some fighting. Want to join?" he asked, looking at Shadow. Shadow nodded, and Sonic acceded, Tails following on without much comment. Shadow stood there, thinking, before he came to a conclusion. "Alright, let's see _you_ fight, Sonic. You against Mirius."

Sonic was shocked. "You want me to fight Mirius?" He couldn't fight Mirius; everyone knew him to be a pacifist inasmuch as possible, preferring words to actual hands. But he saw that Mirius viewed this as a necessity, and would do it, disregarding much else. It didn't hurt that it was _Shadow_ teaching. "Fine then," he said, putting his hands up. "But don't beat me up if your boyfriend gets beaten up." Shadow growled. "Just do it!"

Mirius stood before him, setting his feet in a simple stance, letting Sonic come to him. Sonic was happy to oblige, opening with a devastating kick, using his leg power to his advantage. Mirius blocked his foot on his forearm, wincing at the pain, before driving the heel of his hand into Sonic's shoulder, unbalancing him, while kicking at his lead leg to sweep him to the ground. Sonic stumbled backwards, allowing Mirius to drive stiffened fingers into his solar plexus, and he collapsed, wheezing for breath. "Holy Solaris…..how did…you learn that…" Sonic wheezed, hand clutching his abdomen as Tails helped him up, pulling him to his feet. "You okay, Sonic?"

Shadow nodded. At least Mirius had understood the concept, and the basics. Now all he needed was some muscle and he would be formidable, even without magic. Tails squared his shoulders. "Can I fight Mirius, Shadow?" Shadow raised an eyebrow. "By all means, go ahead." Mirius glared at him, and Shadow hurriedly added a statement, "If he agrees, of course." Mirius rolled his eyes, before acceding. "Alright, alright."

Tails pulled out a wrench from his belt, twirling it. It was a big one, made of cast iron, and wiped the smile off Shadow's face. "Don't beat me up if your boyfriend gets beaten up," he parroted, pulling a hammer off his belt too. "Damnit, Mirius, I got a lot riding on this fight, so if you lose, you're gonna owe me a drink," Shadow said, voice hiding the concern he had. Mirius smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Promise." He said, repeating those fateful words.

Narrowing his eyes, he regarded Tails. The wrench and the hammer would make for hefty weapons, and also provide much energy for him to steal or redirect. Unless he threw it, of course. Raising his hands, he set his feet, focusing on Tails. This would be _interesting,_ to say the least.

Tails did not come charging in like Sonic, and Mirius realised why; Tails fought smart, not with speed. Cheating a little, he summoned the magic to his aid, augmenting his speed and strength, armouring him with what little advantages he could. He would have to move _really_ fast to catch him off guard.

Carefully, he slowly closed the distance between them, before suddenly throwing a quick punch and a sidestep to avoid the return blow. The strength coursing through his body made for a hard punch, and Tails staggered, almost dropping the wrench. Ears flattening, he lashed back at Mirius with the wrench, who deflected the arm off-course, before wrenching it up behind his own back. Tails struggled on the floor, the armlock not painful yet, but he could feel the first hints of agony. "Surrender?" Mirius calmly asked, before almost getting brained by the flailing arm with the hammer. Tsking in annoyance, he pressed his finger to Tails' temple, and applied pressure. Miles screamed on the floor, the agony in his head building until Mirius let go, and whispered back in his ear. "Surrender?"

Tails wailed in agony and outrage, trying to use his tails to choke Mirius, who simply drove his finger into Tails' temple again, before repeating calmly, "Surrender?" Finally, he broke, surrendering, and Mirius let him up, stepping back. Shadow gave him a small smile. "Well, not bad, but we'll continue. Now, let's go for a bath. A real one, in my bathtub." Scooping Mirius off his feet, he carried him, bridal-style all the way up to his rooms, before undressing the both of them and heading into the bathtub. Sonic and Tails headed off to the guest room, N.I.C.O.L.E appearing to direct them.

"Fill the bathtub three-quarters of the way, please," Shadow said, and Mirius pushed the taps, until he got the right combination of hot and cold. While the tub filled, Shadow rummaged in the cupboards, giving Mirius a _perfect_ view of the Ultimate Lifeform's ass. And the hedgehoghood that dangled underneath. _Solaris, that's arousing,_ he thought, already moving to hide his growing 'problem'. Shadow stood up, satisfied with what he had found, and saw that Mirius had tied a towel around his waist, and sat on the edge of the bathtub, looking very embarrassed indeed. His pale tan cheeks were flushed a brilliant scarlet, and he was pulling at his quills, dropping his head to cover his face with his long quills. Shadow walked forward, confusion on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked, fearing that Mirius was sick or something. "No…nothing…." Shadow shrugged, then held up a blueish ball, twirling it in his hands. "Well, I've got a bath bomb here, so let's use it!" he said, Mirius looking up quickly. He had never used a bath bomb before. Standing up excitedly, the towel fell away, revealing his 'problem' to Shadow. Gasping, he pulled the towel back up, but only succeeded in almost falling over. Shadow chuckled. "So this was 'nothing', that made you so act strange?" he asked, moving forward to comfort Mirius, who looked like he was going to cry. "It's okay, it's natural, and plus, I already said it's okay to stare at your boyfriend," he soothed, embracing Mirius. Then he heard soft laughter, and frowned as Mirius started laughing harder. "It's just….I didn't think that….that would happen," he said, pointing at Shadow's own erection. "Anyways, I want to use that bath bomb now, and I want to throw it in." he said, taking the sphere from Shadow's hands and tossing it into the warm water.

Mirius watched as the water turned a pale blue, the ball fizzing away in the water. While the ball was still bubbling, he got into the tub, sloshing small waves around, before gesturing for Shadow to join him. Shadow complied, their bodies sliding past each other in the actually big bathtub. Pushing the ball over to Shadow, he watched the glitter all stick to Shadow's chest fur, and he dragged fingers through said fur, making Shadow squirm; he was ticklish there. Shadow, in turn, ran fingers down Mirius' quills and the fur on his back, feeling every nook and cranny of his body.

Leaning over, he kissed Shadow on the lips, pale tan brushing on peach. This time, Shadow slid his tongue over his lips, an askance for entry. He knew that Mirius had never had a French kiss before, and wanted to be the first to give it to him, so he was gentle with his probing. Mirius understood, and slowly, opened his lips a little, allowing Shadow's tongue to slide into his mouth. A small shiver ran through his body, and Shadow felt it; he wrapped his arms around Mirius' back and his legs around his legs, tongue flicking past Mirius' teeth and the inside of his cheek, making Mirius moan softly. "Mmmnnnnn…." He slowly breathed, his own tongue running inside Shadow's mouth, making _him_ moan too. Shadow's hands _ached_ to touch Mirius in his private parts, but he remembered what Mirius said; no sex until they were married. So he kept that trust, keeping his hands above Mirius' waistline, running along his stomach and on his arms, trailing up his neck and then cradling his face. Oh, that perfection, the cream-white quills falling over his hands, smooth and soft, as the fur that lined his body.

Mirius eventually broke the kiss, sliding off Shadow, and wincing as his ribs hit the tap. Shadow immediately noticed the expression, and swam over, the soapy water lapping at his body. The water plastered down the cream fur, allowing for a magnificent view of the purple bruise that marked his ribs, and Shadow winced, gently massaging the sore part, Mirius lying down on the side of the tub. Reaching over, Mirius picked up the pot of shampoo, scooping a small piece up with his fingers, and kneaded it into Shadow's quills, enjoying the moment. Perfumes slowly diffused into the air, filling the bathroom with the scent of papayas and mangoes. Shadow had now moved his hands to Mirius' quills, scooping shampoo out of the pot and rubbing it into Mirius' head, making him close one eye as the suds ran down the left side of his face. His fingers trailed down Mirius' head, making the triangular ears flick as suds ran into them. Mirius had already gotten his hands on shower gel, and was running it down Shadow's body, washing off the sweat that accumulated on his body. Soft whispers and the sloshing of water was all that was heard from inside, and soon, that stopped too.

Sonic and Tails had snuck into Shadow's room, and were listening in, muting their giggles as they heard what was going on inside Shadow's bathroom. They had already bathed together, and had nothing else to do; they were still too hyped up to sleep. So, they had stealthily intruded upon Shadow's room, pressing their ears to the bathroom door to listen in. So far, they had heard soft sounds and the sloshing of water, as well as muted whispers and quiet laughter. Biting their lips, they choked back laughter that strained to break free of their throats, clenching their fists as small gasps escaped them.

Suddenly, Mirius tensed in the bathtub. Bringing his mouth closer to Shadow's ear, he whispered, too softly for anyone else to hear, "There are people outside the door; I heard them." Shadow frowned, slowly pulling himself up to make no sound. A slow smile spread over his face. "Start moaning, like we're having sex," he whispered to Mirius, while pulling a towel from the rack. Mirius shot Shadow a look, but Shadow waved it off, the message clear in his eyes: _Trust me_.

Closing his eyes, Mirius emitted a throaty moan, covering the sounds of Shadow stepping out of the bathtub. A hastily cut off giggle was heard from the door, and Shadow immediately knew it was Tails; his voice was a distinct mix of masculine and feminine. Mirius still made gasping groans, pitching his voice from high to low, but to Shadow it sounded somewhat forced. Well, he _was_ forcing Mirius to moan, so well. Reaching for the door, he threw the lock and kicked it open at the same time, knocking Sonic and Tails to the floor.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE, YOU SICKOS?!" he screamed, the stunned twosome on the ground, clutching their ears, which had received violent trauma from the hefty kick. "GET OUT!" he yelled, helping them out with kicks up the backside, even as they screamed with laughter. "I've got a recording!" Tails cried, before he was violently booted out of the door, and the two collapsed into a heap, laughing. Mirius cautiously poked his head out of the door, _two_ towels wrapped around his whole body. "Solaris, your decency is getting ridiculous," Shadow muttered, just loud enough for Mirius to hear. Mirius just rolled his eyes at Shadow, replying, "I just wanted to make sure they were gone."

Drying himself, he slipped into more of Shadow's clothes, disdaining a shirt. "That's new," Shadow remarked, sliding into the bed, while Mirius opened the windows. The freezing blast of cold wind sent him reeling, but he didn't close the window, instead going over to Shadow's bed. Climbing into Shadow's bed, he pulled Shadow around him, wrapping himself with Shadow's arms. Shadow Pulled Mirius tighter into the embrace, feeling his body heat chase away the December chill. Holy crap, but Mirius was hot. Like, _literally_ hot _._ His heated skin warmed Shadow, every inch of it radiating warmth. And he was wearing shorts only, allowing Shadow to wrap his body around as much of Mirius' bare skin as possible, drawing heat from him. Mirius, for his part, only smiled at Shadow, who threw the blankets off, despite the frigid winter air. "Who needs blankets, when I have you?" Closing his eyes, Mirius rested his head in Shadow's chest, feeling the white chest fur tickle his nose and brush his cheek. Pulling his legs in, he entwined them with Mirius' thighs, letting Mirius' body heat enfold them. _Oh Solaris, this is so much better than a hot water bottle!_

Sonic and Tails had undressed, and were about to slip under the bedsheets, when they both thought of something. "Wonder if Shadow and Mirius have had sex already? If they are having it now?" Sonic voiced the question in both their minds, Tails shrugging. "I only know that if we go and try to find out, we'll get our butts kicked." Sonic arched his shoulders. "Fair enough, my little genius." Pulling the blankets up, he gestured for Tails to get in first, before he slid in himself. Miles, insecure child genius that he was, had already turned to Sonic, as he always did. "I'm so glad I have you," he whispered, the joy that Sonic gave him still bright and vibrant, undiminished since the day that Sonic had said "I love you, Tails". Perhaps it never will. Sonic smiled back at him, pulling the blankets to their chins, making him look so… _cute_ , in Tails' opinion. "Well, _I'm_ absolutely delighted to have you." He said, pushing away thoughts of Amy, Tikal and anyone else. Only Tails mattered. And only Tails cared.

Pulling up the sheets, their legs slid past each other, cerulean fur brushing against golden fur, silky smooth as their limbs entwined with each other. Sonic reached over, pulling his little genius close, sapphire eyes peering into emerald. Tails snuggled closer to Sonic, running his ungloved fingers over Sonic's peach-furred stomach, feeling the abdominal muscles clench at his touch, before relaxing. His fingers ran down the strong, lean legs that Sonic possessed, following the contours of his body. Sonic pushed his hand through Tails' head, brushing through all the living, warm fur. Tails giggled, Sonic smiling at that sound. Delicate fingers explored each other's bodies, before they both dozed off into a tired heap, wrapped in the security of each other's embrace.

* * *

The next five days passed in a blur to Mirius. After they had woken up, Tails had left to go back to his home, and Sonic had somewhat reluctantly gone home, and apparently popping over to Silver's to have fun with video games. Then they had breakfast, and Shadow instructed him in fighting. Solaris, those fighting sessions were the worst. Four straight hours of non-stop pummelling, and he would break for lunch. Then he would get beat up again for the next two hours, before Shadow called it a day.

"This fighting style, I must confess, wasn't invented by me. Rather, it was Maria who compiled it, from a conglomeration of fighting styles, and science, like biology. She was one of the few women aboard the ARK, and had almost no way of defending herself, with her sickness and all. So, she asked me, to be the subject of an experiment."

"She had compiled a series of charts, pinpointing the weaknesses of the body, and had devised styles to attack such weaknesses, and asked me for help, to review and refine. I was only happy to help; G.U.N's trainers were beating me up daily, when I was still untrained."

Mirius looked at him, a look of disbelief on his face. "You? Beaten up? Impossible." Shadow smirked at him, painfully reminiscing the times. "Totally possible."

"Anyways, she quickly ran into a problem. Being female, she lacked much by way of muscle power, and _especially_ as a Robotnik, preferred to use her brain as much as possible. So, seeing how G.U.N's training regime focuses on strength, and combat technique, she sought to eliminate the need for the former as much as possible, with the use of the latter. Technique over power, she used to always say."

"So, she devised ways of targeting the lines of power that ran through a body, that enabled it to function. At the same time, she created styles to defend her own body, using the parts that were naturally strong to defend, while she attacked the parts of an enemy that were naturally weak. She experimented, on herself, and then me. I must say, I was _very_ surprised the first time she beat me at hand to hand combat. I had not expected that."

"Then, she had hit on a fantastic idea. Why not, she had said, use the enemy's power against them, or even for yourself? And so, she devised ways to steal energy from the opponent's moves, turning it against them, or preventing them from reaching their maximum effectiveness."

Mirius looked at him, head cocked in interest. "So, she taught you most of this?" Shadow shook his head, replying. "No, I studied under G.U.N as well, taking their share of knowledge. Some parts, such as if you can overpower an opponent, were more relevant, than trying to steal the opponent's energy. It saves time. But, seeing your build, you are in a situation _very_ similar to hers, and so, I think her style will benefit you more. And so, let's continue."

On the fourth day, Mirius already could feel the effectiveness of her techniques. He had trained enough for the style to sink into his mind already. Six hours for the past three days would do that to someone. He still couldn't beat Shadow, but he could certainly last much longer. Much, _much_ longer than the first day, where he had been unceremoniously body slammed into the foam mat.

Gerald walked from his bedroom to his lab with much more haste than usual. Today was the day, he could feel it, deep in his bones. The four Chaos Emeralds had been lined up, and he had created a device to harness Mirius' magic, and turn it into power. Five was the absolute minimum, and he only had four of the Emeralds. But, if his calculations were correct, he wouldn't need any more.

He walked down, to see Mirius basically fall out of the training basement, puffing and quite obviously sore. But his eyes sparkled when Gerald met them, and he had stopped gasping enough to ask Gerald a question, "Is it ready?" Gerald nodded, and they hastily went upstairs, Mirius dropping off an empty water bottle on the dining table, where it was snatched away by one of N.I.C.O.L.E's minions, to be refilled. Shadow had followed them a moment later, having caught the gist of the conversation. That, and he could feel the four Chaos Emeralds being lined up, pulsing with Chaos Energy.

They entered Gerald's laboratory, to see the small coffin laid on the surgical workstation, the four Chaos Emeralds floating in glass housings, their power being siphoned off by Chaos Energy conduits. The coffin was a mark of technological genius, cryogenically freezing their victims, preserving them for when they could be revived. The glass front had been opened, and the beautiful face of Maria Robotnik smiled at them, peaceful with her death, having committed Shadow to the protection of her Earth. Shadow smiled at that memory. Soon, they would be reunited, after half a century.

Mirius walked over to Maria, brushing his fingers over her forehead, before jerking his hand back. "Holy Solaris, she's cold!" His white gloves were silvered with frost, and he slid them off, exposing the black fingerless ones he wore underneath, much like Shadow. Gerald noticed, and tsked. "You are rubbing off too much on your boyfriend," he commented, Shadow nudging him back with his elbow. "Let's begin," Gerald said, voice strained with anticipation and fear.

Mirius put his hands into the device, and it lit up immediately, glowing a soft turquoise. "Ready?" Gerald whispered, hand itching to pull the big lever. Mirius took a deep, steadying breath, before letting it all out. "Ready." He said, before unleashing all of his power upon the machine.

Gerald pulled the lever, the power of the Emeralds already flowing into Maria's body. Her body jolted, and the silver magic raced together with the blazing kaleidoscope of power that was the Chaos Energy, flowing into her body. Mirius' face was strained, concentrating on his magic, and he bit his lip with the effort. The blaze of light around Maria's body grew brighter and brighter, before completely shrouding her with the light. Shadow was almost blinded, and had to turn away, while Mirius poured more and more power into the machine.

* * *

Suddenly, it was done. With a loud thunderclap of magic and Chaos Energy, and a brilliant flash of light, the chrysalis burst open, dropping Maria Robotnik on the floor, where she landed athletically, years of practice with a self-devised martial art not lost. Her dress rustled on the ground as she rose, to regard a stunned white-cream hedgehog lying down on the floor, and her grandfather lying over a console while her beloved Shadow was nowhere to be seen. She frowned. The last thing she remembered was…..getting shot in the back, while saying her final goodbyes to Shadow. She looked down at herself. The bloodstain was still there, but the entry and exit holes had closed.

"Mmmnnhhhhgh," the cream hedgehog moaned, opening its eyes. Maria strode over, and lifted him up into a sitting position, before slapping him twice to fully wake him up. "Wake up, and who are you? Why is my grandfather lying on the computer? Hello?" she said, after realising that the hedgehog had gone offline again. Snorting with annoyance, she took some water from the laboratory sink and threw it at the hedgehog. When he finally woke up, his eyes focused on her. "Maria?"

She frowned at him. "How do you know my name?" The hedgehog looked around, and pointed at a black furred heap that she had assumed to be a rug. "Shadow told me a lot about you." Standing, she turned to help the white hedgehog up, hut he had risen as she had, and walked over to Shadow. Kneeling down beside him, the white hedgehog put his hand to Shadow's dark tan cheeks, before shaking him slowly. _Wow, he must be really close to Shadow to do that to him,_ she thought.

Then, the white furred hedgie did something she had totally not expected. Leaning in, he _kissed_ Shadow on the lips, before murmuring into his ear. "Wake up, sleepyhead," he said, voice low and soothing. _Wow, he must be_ REALLY _close to Shadow._ Shadow's ears flicked, and one eye cracked open, before grinning up at him. "I must have hit my head really hard, huh." Pushing himself up, he rubbed the back of his head, and _hugged_ the white hedgie. Opening his eyes fully, he finally caught sight of Maria. "Maria!" he shouted, diving to hug her, while hugging Mirius at the same time. Tears of joy sprang from his eyes, surrounded with the people that he loved. It had worked, and nothing would separate them again.

Gerald opened his eyes, to see a strange threesome in front of him. A white hedgie, an ebony hedgie, and lastly, a _human_ woman, with long golden hair. Clearing his throat, he hesitated, afraid to break the spell. "M..Maria?' he asked, voice trembling. "It is me, Grandfather," she said, and he pulled all of them into a hug, tears streaming down his face. His granddaughter had been returned to him, and all was well.

Mirius was the first to disengage, pulling himself out of the choking embrace, glad that he could make the two people in the world, that he cared for the most, happy. But the magic exacted its price, and he felt weary, much more tired than he had ever been in days. Maria too, had pulled herself off the two people that she cared for the most, and regarded the both of them, before turning to Mirius.

"So, we still have not introduced ourselves. I'm Maria, but I believe that Shadow has already told you that. So, why were you kissing my brother?" Shadow gulped, and looked at Mirius, who waved him off, before explaining. "I'm his boyfriend," he said, completely meaning it. Maria looked at him critically for a few minutes, before turning around to grab Shadow in a hug. "AAARRRGHHHHH WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND ALREADY? I'M SO EXCITED!" Mirius raised his eyebrows at Shadow, who only shrugged in reply. Maria continued, "So when are you two moving in? Or getting married? Oh, wait, it's illegal, isn't it?" Mirius shook his head helplessly, before answering, "Oh, we kind of are already living together, because my house got destroyed, and about getting married…. We'll see."

Gerald looked at his watch, feigning shock. "Oh my, it's six already! Better go for dinner!" he said, shooing them out of his room, and down the stairs. Maria continued her incessant talk as she walked downstairs. Fifty years in stasis apparently translated to fifty years' worth of talk. Shadow answered most of the questions, although at one point, she turned to look at Mirius, before turning back to ask Shadow, "Why is your boyfriend so puny? I never even knew you were gay! I don't mind though, it's interesting!". To which, Shadow had replied that it was precisely the fact that Mirius was puny that he was learning Maria's technique of combat.

They all had a hurried dinner, Maria saying that it was the best food she had ever eaten; the stuff that they had served on the ARK was atrocious. Mirius was swaying by the time dinner was over, almost collapsing on the stairs as he went up, Shadow carrying him up the rest of the way. He had already closed his eyes when they reached Shadow's bedroom, and he closed the door, before undressing Mirius and washing him, taking care not to _drown_ him by accident. Mirius was so out of it, he barely reacted when he was lowered into the warm water. His hands moved tenderly over Mirius' body, before he lifted him back out of the bath, gently drying him on a towel, then as a fun idea, blowing him dry with a hair dryer. The result was a puffy, but totally dried Mirius, and this he laid in bed before going to bathe himself, and sliding into the sheets with Mirius. He was already closing his eyes when he realised that both him and Mirius were totally naked. Too tired to care, he pulled Mirius to him, holding him close before closing his eyes.

* * *

"Happy new year, Shadow and Mirius!" a loud, chirpy voice yelled at them, and a small pop accompanied it, causing streamers to fall on their faces. Shadow moaned and stretched, popping his neck and shoulders. Mirius just muttered something and turned over, one leg sliding out of the blanket. Maria walked over to Mirius' side, and threw the blanket off, before screaming. Shadow's eyes snapped wide open, and he turned over to find what had caused Maria to scream. Then, he started laughing. He had not dressed Mirius last night, and Maria had thrown off the blankets to reveal a completely nude Mirius. Maria had turned away and covered her eyes, before running out of the room. Shadow nudged Mirius, who was still completely oblivious to everything. Looking down, he realised that Mirius was somehow…hard. Turning away, he blushed, swinging his legs off the bed and covering Mirius again. School would start tomorrow, and he had better get prepared for tomorrow. Looking at Mirius, he wondered if he would want to go out with friends, before they had to go back to school.

Mirius stirred, opening his eyes a crack, before closing them again. He slowly opened them again, letting his eyes slowly adjust, before he opened it all the way. Sliding off the bed, he felt the blankets catch on him, and his eyes widened to realise he was hard. Practically leaping off the bed, he jumped into the closet, and pulled clothes out, throwing them on so quickly, Sonic would have been hard-pressed to follow. Sighing in relief, he came out of the closet, dressed in simple clothes, but _infinitely_ much more comfortable in them.

Shadow came out of the bathroom at the same time that Mirius exited the closet, and he slowly cracked a smile. "Coming out of the closet already, Mirius?" he cheekily said, receiving a scowl and a nudge in the ribs, before Mirius brushed past him into the bathroom, closing the door. Running water was heard for a few minutes, before Mirius came out, looking as good as he usually did, in Shadow's opinion. "Breakfast?" he asked, already taking Mirius' arm. Mirius blushed, before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "You're so sweet," he murmured into Shadow's ear, before following him downstairs.

They ate a hurried breakfast, Maria walking down slowly with her hands covering her face. "Is it safe to look yet?" she asked, voice trembling with nervousness. Shadow snorted. "Cut the act, Maria. You've seen worse." She put her hands down, but shot back at Shadow, "The only dick I've seen was yours, and that in diagrams! And I couldn't even see yours properly, because of your black fur!" Mirius rolled his eyes. "Can we get over this? Fifty years of chatter or not, you still talk _way_ too much."

Shadow snorted. "She wasn't like this on the ARK."

Maria hmphed. "I'm _right_ in front of you, you know!"

Picking up a plate, she wandered down the small breakfast buffet bar, N.I.C.O.L.E somehow knowing just how much to make, and _what_ to make, preventing leftovers. Filling her plate, she walked over, and sitting beside Mirius. "So, what drew you to my brother?" she asked, while eating. Mirius had finished by then, and leaned back, thinking.

"He's really hot _and_ cute at the same time," he said, drawing a giggle from Maria. "Go on," she said, chewing on her bacon. "He was also there for me, whenever I needed someone, unlike Silver… I would say that he's by far the most mature of us, and could provide the support that I really desperately needed to get over Silver. And, I also realised that I liked him too. Not bad, eh?"

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Mature? Not exactly what I would describe him, but what floats your boat, I guess." She laughed, a clear, bright laugh, before passing her plate to N.I.C.O.L.E's minion. The little yellow robot zoomed off with her plate, almost knocking the table over with a near miss. Standing, she took Mirius by the hand, and skipped off with him, telling Shadow, "No, what we're going to do is only for us girls."

They went down to the training basement, Maria already turning at the centre. Mirius took a while longer, wondering how Maria knew her way around the place. She probably went for a tour of the property with Gerald, he realised.

"So, what has Shadow taught you?" she asked, standing in the centre of the mat, hands loose. "Show me; attack me," she commanded, when Mirius looked at a loss to explain. Slipping into a defensive stance, Maria eyed Mirius, who set his feet, hands opened. His form was perfect, she could see, but form was one thing. Effectiveness was another.

She could see that he was hesitating to strike, and she sighed, giving him an opening by swiftly stepping in to deliver a punch to his throat, that transitioned to a kick to his knee. Mirius was fast to block both, before slipping his hands to probe her defences. Trapping his arm, she targeted a pressure point in his arm, but not before he had elbowed her in the ribs. She was slow, she realised. But then again, fifty years in cryogenic storage would do that to anyone. Stepping up her game, she rammed her elbow into his solar plexus, sending him reeling. Trapping his arm, she followed his retreat, kicking his legs out from under him. He fell to his knees, and she trapped him in a headlock. Gasping, he choked out, "I give up!". She released him, stretching her arms. It had been too long since she had any decent exercise, and it told in her atrophied arms. But, then again, her style required the barest of strength, using the energy of the opponent against him.

Mirius got up, massaging his neck and numb arm, restoring feeling to both. "Well, so what did you bring me here for?" he asked, curious as to her motives. She tapped her foot, thinking for a little, before she spoke.

"Well, Shadow has taught you well, but we had too little time to test out the more advanced techniques, before I was…shot. But, now, you can learn them. It's very much more advanced than the style you learned under Shadow, but, I'll teach you. Let's go," she said, a perfect mirror of what Mirius had said for the past five days. Mirius shrugged. "Okay."

They trained for the whole of the morning till late afternoon, Maria finally satisfied. She had made Mirius spar with her, not drill the moves into him, insisting that it was the only way to make the moves flow, as 'drills were too repetitive'. Mirius made the most adorable sounds when he got hit, she thought, which was probably why Shadow liked him. She grinned inwardly. She would tease him about it later.

Gerald sat upstairs, enrolling his daughter into the MHSSA. However, he first had to change the national database to say that Maria was not dead first, and then he had to process the paperwork, such as getting the principal's signature. Luckily, he had some influence with the principal of the MHSSA, and it had taken a mere half an hour. He knew Maria would not take kindly to being enrolled into school immediately after being revived, however, and so, had procured a doctor's letter to excuse her for a 'blank' number of days. He set that form aside for Maria to choose how many days she would be out of school for. Now, for coffee.

* * *

Mirius walked out of the training room with a limp, and Shadow had rushed to carry him, where he had passed out in a dead faint. Maria appeared at the door to the basement in a while, where she started laughing almost instantly. "He's so cute when he screams!" she said, howling with laughter. Shadow was not amused. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Mirius opened his eyes, a small crack, and whispered to Shadow, "Let's get outta here, and go see our friends. Like after you bathe me." Shadow nodded, a tiny movement. "Agreed." Holding Mirius tightly, he leapt up the stairs, from floor to floor, disdaining the stairway. The Inhibitor Rings on his wrists pulsed softly, and he felt a little strength enter his body, Mirius' magic strengthening him. He smiled softly at his boyfriend, still helping him in every way he could.

Quickly, they had bathed and changed into fresh clothes, before Shadow had rung up Silver and Sonic, to tell them to meet up. All had been delighted to; all had agreed. Shadow smiled. Perfect. Now, all they needed to do was get dinner together.

Slipping into a black coat that Mirius held up for him, he buttoned it up, and turned to see Mirius slipping into a white coat, and smiled at him. "Interesting," he remarked, seeing how his coat had black buttons, Mirius' had white buttons. A perfect copy, but in white. A case of something slid into a concealed pocket in Mirius' coat, and he smiled back at Shadow. "I got this, but never expected you to have the exact replica. How _coincidental_." Tying a dark brown scarf around his neck, he looked in the mirror. "Look nice?" he asked, Shadow coming over to see. "The scarf is nice; it complements the colour of your eyes." Mirius grinned at him, and reached into the closet, tying a red scarf around Shadow's neck. "Then this should suit you, which it does beautifully." The red was a vivid fiery red, not those faded dull red ones. "Let's walk there this time, Shadow?" Mirius asked. Shadow acceded. "Very well… it's cold out though."

They strode out into the dying light, the sun a blood red as it sank beneath the horizon. Little glitters of snow fell, frosting their clothes. Sticking out his tongue, Mirius caught a snowflake on his tongue, before frantically dusting it off. "Gross! It's cold and a little salty!" he spat, Shadow chuckling at him, before walking to him, and slipping his arm around Mirius'. Together they walked along the street, the brilliant blaze of the sun's dying glory behind them.

Soon, they entered the street that was the start of Central City, the blazing lights of Station Square up ahead. They walked in the snow, thankful for the effect it had on making people stay indoors, allowing them a little privacy, making their little displays of affection go unnoticed. They passed a bar, only to see some people being kicked out, human and Mobian alike. The unruly group staggered around, blocking their way and vomiting in drains, generally hampering them. They passed a big human man, who was leaning on a lamp post for support, when he suddenly reached out and grabbed Mirius by his neck, pulling him back. "What a pretty little hedgehog! Let's have some fun in the alley over there!" he slurred, and the stink of alcohol washed over Mirius, who squirmed in his grasp. Shadow was there in an instant, breaking the man's arm, before dragging his head down, and slamming the man's forehead into his knee, where he collapsed in a dead faint. "Let's go," he said to Mirius, breaking into a run, the drunk group yelling invectives at them.

"That was…strange," Mirius said, after drawing a considerable distance away from them. Shadow nodded, pulling Mirius away from walking into a lamp post. He grinned his thanks, before lapsing into a comfortable silence. They knew each other well enough to know that sometimes, words weren't required to communicate, enjoying that little telepathy that couples seemed to have. Or rather, actually had, since Mirius could indeed do just that, with his magic. They passed a small playground, with teenage Mobians and humans alike, drinking and smoking illegal things, judging from the strange smell of the smoke. Probably weed, but Mirius wouldn't know unless he tested for it, and he had absolutely no intention of going anywhere near the people in the playground. They soon reached the shopping mall that they had designated to meet at, and saw, to their amazement, Sonic and Tails waiting for them, wrapped up in scarves and for Tails, a parka. Sonic was wearing normal clothes, as far as normal went for him, and they stood outside, looking around, or playing with the snow with his tails, in Tails' case.

They stopped at a pillar behind Sonic and Tails, sneaking around to catch them off-guard. Treading carefully, they stepped around, but the crunch of snow alerted Tails, who turned around to see the couple step out from behind the mirror. "Damnit Tails," Mirius said, a smile on his face to show he meant no offence. Sonic turned with Tails, waving at them.

"How did you get out of your house, Tails?" Mirius asked, eyes glittering with curiosity. Tails shrugged. "Well, I got the needles that you gave me, and I put one into my dad's neck. Sonic had come over, to ask me out, so I did that, then had Sonic tie him up in his bed. Mom's still in the hospital." Sonic spied Blaze and Silver, and had dashed off, knowing Silver's navigation 'capabilities' would get Blaze as hopelessly lost as Silver.

Tails looked at his speeding boyfriend, dashing across ice to slip and fly straight into Silver and Blaze. His eyes widened, as he saw Sonic skid, saw his legs fly up, and had started to sprint over. Only to be arrested by Shadow's arm, catching the green sweater around his neck, and almost choking him. "Hold it, fox, running in will just end you up in the same situation as him," he said, activating his rocket skates to hover above the ice, gliding over to where Sonic, Silver and Blaze lay in a stunned heap, onlookers doing nothing. Mirius took Tails' hand, before whisking the air with his other hand, and Tails watched in wonder as the ice parted from before them. Striding through the parting ice, he and Tails arrived at the scene of the incident, Tails pulling out of Mirius' grasp to run beside Sonic and pull him to his feet. Shadow had hoisted Silver up, and Mirius pulled Blaze up. They weighed quite a bit, with their winter clothes, and Mirius and Tails struggled to keep holding them up.

Thankfully, they all recovered their wits soon enough, even though Silver had bashed his head into a lamp post nearby. Mirius had to throw ice in their faces a few times to keep them alert, and apparently the promise of ice cream was good enough to keep them awake and improve their condition. Shining a light into their eyes, he determined that they were still alright, just a little rattled. They walked into the mall, already talking among themselves about where they wanted to go.

They passed by many shops, heading for the bookstore first, on Mirius' insistence. Extreme insistence, such that everyone had succumbed to the force of that demand. They waded through the throng of people, Mirius poking people in pressure points when they couldn't catch the culprit, speeding their progress. Soon enough, they reached the bookstore, and they all went in, Silver looking at the books in the new arrivals.

Mirius pulled Shadow with him, Sonic and Tails following not far behind, while Blaze wandered around with Silver. They were headed to the non-fiction area, where there were less people. Silver and Blaze held not much interest in books as a whole, only picking through interesting covers. Mirius and Tails were book _fanatics_ , and they pulled their own boyfriends along.

They arrived at the science area, piles of textbooks arranged neatly, the three sciences and mathematics laid out in four respective shelves. Tails approached the physics shelf with ecstasy, being unable to afford most of the books that were outside his syllabus; his father only bought the bare minimum, preferring his son choose an academic course that was heavier on humanities and English. Amadeus disdained the sciences, Mirius knew, citing the reasons for problems as having stemmed from technology. Mirius approached the chemistry section with something approaching reverence, knowing the central science was what enabled all of civilisation.

Suddenly, a flash of pink caught their eyes. It turned out to be a certain pink hedgehog, who seemed to be headed to a shelf labelled 'Theology'. Sonic cast about frantically, looking for a way to escape, to hide from the psychotic bitch, but there was almost no escape. Amy would have certainly seen him, if Mirius hadn't been fast enough to conjure up a spell of unsight. The silvery flicker of magic flashed dimly, before disappearing altogether, along with Blue himself. Tails grasped his hand reassuringly, to comfort himself as well, as Mirius eased himself behind a shelf, white coat blending with the white shelves.

Amy seemed not to have noticed, taking a long time looking through bibles of Solaris, choosing a rather thick one, bound in moleskin. She looked at it, reading out a few passages softly, yet he could sense a small disturbance. The invisibility spell cloaking Sonic was flickering, affected by the power of Solaris or something like that. Evidently Amy noticed that as well, looking up at the disturbance. Raising the bible, she held it up to the flickers in the air, and the drawn symbols all over the cover started to glow softly, and the disturbance grew more distorted. Mirius hissed, signalling at Sonic to start running, to start _now_ , but he stood frozen with fear.

Suddenly she turned around, to see Shadow perusing a book as well. Placing the chemistry textbook back on the shelf, he looked calmly at Amy. "Strange, meeting you here." He said, distracting Amy such that she failed to notice a flash of golden fur pull Sonic away from her, followed by a flash of cream white fur as Mirius darted past her to follow Sonic. Amy nodded, distracted pleasantries offered as she searched around for the disturbance she had sense earlier, in Solaris' light. The holy book _had_ revealed something, but what was it? Opening the holy book, she read out loud a prayer, written in the ancient church vulgate, a prayer to Solaris to reveal, by the light of Solaris.

 _Solaris, thy light reveals all; there is naught that can stand hidden before thy eyes. Open my eyes, to see in thine light._

The book pulsed in her hands, a soft turquoise glow in her hands, and she looked up, to see the unravelling spell of cloaking. A flash of royal blue fur caught her eye, and she turned to see Mirius smoothly stepping out from behind the shelf.

"Fancy meeting you here, Amy! Are you taking a course in divinity? That bible seems awfully overpriced," he said, his face kept carefully neutral, only a hint of surprise showing. Amy narrowed her eyes at him. "Didn't you miss church last week? There was a call for people to do bible studies, and it was a legitimate, formal course at our school. Our head pastor, Pastor Big, is teaching those classes himself!" Mirius fractionally raised his eyebrow. "Yes, indeed, I did miss church, but I told Tikal already." _In fact, I hate going to that place, but then again, I have to keep up with appearances,_ he thought. Amy frowned. "I thought I saw something that Solaris was revealing to me, but then again, it could be that it fled in Solaris' power." Mirius inwardly rolled his eyes, but replied neutrally. "Yes, of course, see you tomorrow." He waved her off, flipping her off behind her back as she went to the cashier.

A blue patch detached itself from the wall, and appeared beside Mirius, Shadow already standing beside him. "That was close!" the royal blue pain in the ass said aloud, Tails swishing his tails nervously. "Now that she's here, it complicates things, right? We can't bump into her." Mirius thought for a bit, then had an idea.

"Okay, so we'll have dinner first, then we can go outside; there's a park nearby. Where in the deepest pits of hell are Silver and Blaze?" he said, looking around.

Silver and Blaze wandered around, picking up books, before setting them back down. None of the new titles had interested even Blaze, and Silver barely read at all. Setting down yet another book, Blaze sighed, daydreaming instead. The rest could come find her when they wanted to leave. A few concerns nagged at her mind, knocking her out of her pleasant reverie. Her work was one. She had to work, and at the same time study, just to support both Silver and herself. Silver didn't really want to work, preferring to subsist on Blaze's rather substantial salary. She sighed, already wondering how to plan her work schedule. The second concern was her brother. Last she checked, it was impossible for a cat to have a hedgehog for a brother. Her mom was dead; her dad an alcoholic with a gambling problem, or so Silver had told her. She had made him her brother, but she still wanted to find out what really happened for herself, and not hear it from someone else. Silver himself had no recollection of his parents, and had taken her in, as he was older than her, making her his sister. They had stayed in the dormitory in the MHSSA, as they were quite literally orphans, and the school had been compassionate enough to take them in. There, they had met Mirius, who was in a similar situation.

A clicking finger in her face startled her out of her reverie, by the very same person she was thinking about. "Ready to go?" Mirius asked her, face troubled with urgency written all over it. She could see him thinking about something, and didn't hesitate, grabbing Silver by the hand, and pulled him urgently after them.

"So, any ideas where to have dinner at?" Mirius asked, steering them out of Amy's way, using magic to sense for her presence wherever they were going. It wasn't hard, with that holy book that she held; it had great power written in it. They already had to avoid the food court, and Shadow had suggested eating McDonalds, to which most people had pulled a face at. "Fine, how about at Subway? It's 'healthy'," Shadow said, rolling his eyes at the quotation marks. Blaze shrugged. "Very well, we'll go there then," she said, already turning in that direction.

"Guys, it's like seven already!" Tails nervously exclaimed, knowing that there was school tomorrow and that Amadeus would probably be out of the knots. Sonic laughed. "Relax, Tails, he won't be getting out anytime soon. I staged this 'kidnapping' for you, so let's make the most out of it!" Mirius nudged Shadow. "Love makes people do strange things," he whispered to Shadow, winking at him. He turned back to see Tails and Sonic sharing a very secret kiss, and a quick embrace, and looped his arm into Shadow's. "Psst, let's go, there are people staring," he hissed at them, Silver and Blaze having averted their eyes for privacy.

They ate a quick dinner, anxious to be out of the mall before they had another encounter with Amy dear, or as Sonic liked to put it, the pink psychotic princess. Tails had giggled at that. "Alliteration, not bad," he had said, referencing their literature classes. Finishing, they had quickly made their way out of the mall, Mirius keeping them far, far away from Amy.

They stepped out into the frigid January air, the first day of the new year lending a sense of festivity to the twinkling snow falling on their heads now. Silver and Blaze shivered, both disliking the cold, and they pulled their jackets closer to their bodies. Mirius and Shadow rolled their eyes at them, while Sonic and Tails had found a novel way to resist the cold: Sonic had carried Tails, while Tails would wrap his namesakes around Sonic. The bushy yellow furred tails, tipped in white, made for excellent cold resistance. Mirius and Shadow took each other's hands, before walking to the park, Sonic following while Silver and Blaze practically ran, to warm themselves up.

The park had no streetlights, and was almost deserted, allowing the six of them much freedom. They walked through the darkness, Mirius quite sure that there would be no demons; they tended to stay away from civilisation. And also tended not to attack ordinary Mobians. Hopefully. They had strayed apart from each other in the dark, Silver and Blaze going to the lake in the centre, while Sonic and Tails stayed near the snowy hedges. Mirius and Shadow had disappeared into the forest, amongst evergreens and other trees.

It was pitch black in the forest, and Mirius ignited a small glow of werelight on his fingertips, the silver light casting a small glow to illuminate their way. A romantic stroll in the woods, near Station Square. They continued on in the forest, the frigid air barely denting their excitement at being with each other.

Suddenly, they felt a strange warmth in the area. "Why is it suddenly….warmer?" Shadow asked, turning around slowly. He saw nothing, but suddenly, Mirius threw him aside, silver light flaring up to shatter a blast of fire. "Fire demon!" he yelled, but realised that the demon was weakened by the weather, and started to back away. It had no intention of pursuing them, he saw, and slowly pulled Shadow back with him. "Why does it not attack?" Shadow asked, slowly backing away until it stopped looking their way. "I think it is because it is just defending its territory," Mirius replied, eyes searching the woods, sweeping it with his magic.

* * *

Sonic and Tails had gotten bored of the snowy hedges, the lake, and only the forest held any sort of mystery for them. Silver and Blaze had agreed to follow them in, not wanting to stay near the creepy, pitch black lake by themselves. The lake had started to populate itself, filling with people sitting on the benches nearby, smoking and drinking. Most of them were teenagers, and Sonic could recognise some of them from his school. They hurried off to find Shadow and Mirius, the protection that poisons and physical fighting offered seeming very reassuring right now.

Striding through the darkness, Silver did not notice the leg before him, and stumbled over it, causing the leg's owner to stand up sharply and strike him across the face. "Hey! Don't touch my friend!" Sonic yelled, standing protectively in front of them. The person stood up, and Sonic groaned inwardly. It was Vector, the leader of a gang of bullies in his school, and he had _absolutely_ no intention of tangling with him. "Well, well, it would seem someone has assaulted me, and their friends are being rude," he drawled, and members of his gang, the Chaotix, drifted out of the darkness near them. There was Mighty, Espio and even Charmy. Who knew a bee could look threatening?! Sonic backed up, waving his hands pacifically. "Sorry, sorry," he said nervously, wishing that Mirius would show up now and blast them with poison gas or even that magic of his. Vector flicked his blunt to the ground. "Someone has disrespected me, and so, they must pay for that humiliation. Don't you think so, eh, Mighty?" Mighty nodded back at him. "Absolutely, boss." Reaching out, he bitch slapped Sonic in the face, making him reel. "Beat those idiots up!" he said, stepping back to avoid the carnage.

Mighty had immediately stepped forward, and sunk a heavy blow to Sonic's stomach, causing him to bend over, and vomit his dinner onto the ground. Tails stepped forward, sidestepping a punch before pulling a wrench and whacking Mighty across the face with it. Espio had stepped forward, slipping his hands around Tails' arms, before sweeping his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. Silver extended his hand, throwing Espio back, and Mighty stepped forward to slug him in the face. Or would have, if Blaze wasn't there to burn his hands, scorching his hands black, the fur glowing with little bits of orange. Tails had gotten up, and was tussling with Espio, and losing badly. A tail whip to his face all but knocked him out, and Sonic leapt to his defence, kicking at Espio. Instantly, the purple chameleon had turned, sweeping his leg which was anchored to the ground, knocking him flat on his back. _Mirius, Shadow, we could use some help here!_ Sonic thought desperately, kicking and punching at Espio while the chameleon throttled him with his very own scarf, the one that Tails had gotten him.

* * *

Mirius and Shadow turned from the fire demon, about to walk back, when a loud rustling alerted them. A stone demon had materialised, and was menacing the fire demon, who had expended much of its limited power to scare off Mirius and Shadow, and was now almost powerless to help itself against the much more powerful demon of rock, and had shrunk away, casting about for help. Mirius looked at the two demons, and Shadow was instantly at his side, pulling him away. "I know what you're thinking, and yes, it might be our fault, but there's no way that you are helping that thing." Mirius looked pleadingly at him. "Please, come on, let me help!" Shadow sighed, shaking his head. "Your good heart is going to get you killed one day," he said, running after Mirius.

"Hey!" Mirius yelled, a flash of silver light exploding across the stone demon's back, cracking its skin. The fire demon had stared at Mirius, an evident look of confusion on its strange features. The stone demon turned, a clumsy lumbering beast, but another flare of silver light threw it back, before it disintegrated in a blaze of silver light. Turning to the fire demon, Mirius watched as the demon processed what it had just saw, its body of fire flickering in confusion and was that…. _gratitude_? Slowly, it nodded, a hint of thanks in its face, before disappearing, melting back into the earth. Shadow shrugged, before taking his hand. "Let's get back to the rest, before they wonder what happened to us. This was a lovely, romantic stroll in the woods, in the dark, by the way," he said, kissing Mirius on the lips, the darkness and silence of the forest affording them all the privacy they needed. Taking his cream hand in his black furred, red striped one, they began to run back, feet kicking up leaves in their wake, laughing as they enjoyed the feeling of cold wind, blasting through their quills, and blowing all around them.

* * *

Tails was in an armlock, and Mighty was still trying to get to Silver and Blaze, who was keeping them back with a shield of telekinetic power. Sonic was dodging all the attacks that Espio tried to use against him, his speed more than a match for the chameleon's skill. He couldn't hit the chameleon, but he could avoid being hit. But the sight of his boyfriend being held in an armlock by a bee was heartbreaking, and he tried his best to get past Espio. Tails had snuck a tail behind Charmy's back, and suddenly, started to throttle him, squeezing with his prehensile tail. Charmy pushed harder, eliciting a scream from Tails, before a flying black body knocked the bee off Tails, a _rocket skate_ hitting the bee in the side of his face. "Get off my friends! Who on Mobius are you freaks?!"

Mirius had reached the fight at the same time as Shadow, and Shadow had taken on Charmy and was turning to Mighty, while he leapt at Espio from behind. The purple chameleon turned smoothly, addressing the bigger threat, and Sonic dashed past him to get to Tails, lifting him up in his arms, holding him close. Vector laughed loudly, suddenly. "So, the great Sonic the Hedgehog was thwarted by my Espio! And he's _gay!_ Wait till the school hears about this!"

Sonic gritted his teeth, slowly setting Tails down, before suddenly launching himself into a headlong dash at Vector. Espio intercepted him, grappling with him, knocking him down, where they clawed and bit at each other on the ground. Vector watched Sonic, an indulgent smile on his face. "Come and hit me then! If you can even get – OOF!" he grunted, as Mirius had walked up from his side, and slammed an openhanded strike into the side of his face. Vector slowly turned to face Mirius. "Well, it seems that someone has decided to fight on your behalf, Sonic. I would be delighted to accept," he said, taking in Mirius' slim build.

Without warning, he lashed out at Mirius, massive fist hurtling for Mirius' head, but he had already dodged the strike, flowing around it to strike at Vector's kidneys. The crocodile had actually _grunted_ with pain, before swinging again at Mirius, the heavy blows powered by his massive muscles. Each attack was diverted, and converted into extra power for Mirius' strikes, or for better positions from which to strike at. His fingers struck points that took away feeling, caused pain, or even sent him reeling in dizziness. Finally, frustrated, he had committed to a headlong charge, which Mirius had caught, and spun in a circle, converting all that energy into a throw that sent Vector crashing into the bench, knocking him almost senseless.

And then, he spoke, his voice chillingly flat. "Never, ever, threaten, harm, or even come _close_ to my friends again, or I swear, before Solaris as my witness, I will make you experience Hell on Mobius. Have I made myself sufficiently clear to all of you?"

All the Chaotix had released their victims, and were backing away, hands up in a show of surrender. Even Sonic and his own friends had been stunned by the chilling anger that Mirius had shown. The coldness of his fury had been palpable, and they knew that he would not hesitate to carry out his sentence. He turned from them, the ice in his eyes slowly melting as he joined his friends, the joy that Shadow brought him thawing it out, as it always did. Slowly, they made their way back home, strolling happily with their close friends, ending the last trip that they would go out on for fun, yet comforted by their closeness with each other.

* * *

"Goodnight, everybody," Sonic and Tails chorused, near the causeway to Bygone Island. They turned, and with Silver and Blaze, walked back to their homes, while Shadow and Mirius went back home, undressed and bathed, before pulling the sheets up around them. Soon, they fell off the precipice of consciousness, wrapped in each other's embrace, ready to face the new day of school, and its challenges ahead, together.

* * *

 _Hey, well, some announcements just cos I don't wanna leave my fans hanging :) Firstly, I'm going to start school in a few weeks time, so, I probably won't have that much time to write (I swear I'll continue, just give me time! I like this story, a part of me waits for the release too!) and so, won't post that frequently (That's why this is almost 12k words). Second thing is, I have freaking Chinese New Year, and I gotta play nice (To get the green stuff from my relatives hehe even I need moneh kk) so, I will have to not write for a little bit. And lastly, I have church (Oh God I hate going to that place; it's a fucking waste of my time) activities, as in like INDOCTRINATION. So, yeah, I promise to post every month at the latest, and you can drop me a PM if I forget! Now, a new bit, I'm gonna talk about my story a little!_

 _Apparently people were surprised by the pairing switch (YAY MIRIUS X SHADOW_ _FLUFF_ ) _which I'm happy about (I still can keep you all on your toes hehe). I don't know if you all really like Mirius, but please, do give him a chance, he's a pretty big character in my story at this point (hehe because I like it that way). SonTails is, like, my 'debut' pairing in that sense that it's the first homosexual pairing, so not really the main pairing (At least not yet; the plot is still quite fluid, but it could be hehe go review and I'll consider). And lastly, MARIA IS BACK, AND SHE CAN DO SOME CRAZY MARTIAL ARTS(Okay guys, I need ya to create a name for it) YAY FEMINISM_

 _Anyways, I just hope that you all are still following this story even though it might take a little longer (I'll allow you to PM me a ton of shit if I miss a month)and yes, please Follow and Favourite! A review would be great! Have a fantastic day ahead (If it's night, just go to sleep, it'll get better, and you'll have a great day! Try it! Or become a coffee addict like Gerald.)_


	11. Chapter 11

_So, I've been really busy, and hadn't had much time to write, so here's the result of what, three weeks of work? It's my March holidays now, and my workload is crazyy, but I tried to finish this asap, so please, do enjoy and review! Seeya below!_

* * *

~Chapter 11~

Shadow slowly opened his eyes, his natural body clock waking him from his slumber, the thin veil of sleep cast off as he slowly returned to wakefulness. Mirius still lay asleep in the crook of his arm, soft whistling breaths audible to his sensitive ears, and he wrapped his other arm around Mirius' shoulders, taking comfort from the warmth his body emitted, and the tangibility of his body. His chest fluff rustled in the soft, warm breaths that Mirius took, and he cupped his hand around some of the white quills spilling from Mirius' head, marvelling at how soft they were. His finger trailed down Mirius' back, black fur merging with cream-white, swirling patterns forming and breaking up.

His fingers trailed to his pale tan cheeks, and with a small intake of breath, Mirius' eyes slid open, blinking slowly. Shadow smiled at him, his Inhibitor Rings glowing softly as he willed them to. It was a small trick he had learnt, experimenting with the magic that Mirius had imbued them with, and he was pleased to find that it could be controlled in a way similar to Chaos Energy, but not quite. Mirius blinked in the glow, and leaned up to kiss Shadow on the cheek, his lips brushing across Shadow's for a moment. Pulling himself up, he regarded the bed. Shadow had been a messy sleeper before he moved in, and now, the blanket found itself fondly reminiscing the times it spent on the floor and the tubular thing that Shadow called a 'bolster' lay forgotten under the pillows. Now, he tended to wrap the blanket around both him and Mirius, cuddling up close to him.

"Good morning," Mirius said, yawning hugely while stretching in bed, before turning over to check the time. Shadow swung his legs off the bed, moving to get out of bed, when a pair of arms caught him by the waist, pulling him back.

"Please, five more minutes?" Mirius pleaded, buying his face into Shadow's back. "We still have time?" he said again, his voice holding an innocent plea for him just to spend more time together. Shadow sighed, nodding. "Alright."

Unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end, and they disentangled themselves from each other, both going into Shadow's bathroom to prepare for the day, Shadow following the long stride of Mirius.

Mirius had gotten sleepier while bathing, if that could be possible. It probably had something to do with Shadow massaging his back, although he couldn't be sure; the steamy warm waters were also conscious-sapping. He walked downstairs with Shadow, slowly to not fall over, with his arm in Shadow's, the ebony hedgehog bearing most of the weight.

"Good morning!" the depressingly wide awake voice of N.I.C.O.L.E sang, already bustling around Doctor Gerald with his coffee and his schedules. Gerald tsked at them as they walked down the stairs, seeing Mirius basically being carried by Shadow. "Hurry up, or we're going to be late!" Mirius barely managed a nod in response before yawning widely again. Gerald rolled his eyes, turning away to sort out some holes in the teachers' schedules.

Mirius tottered over to the breakfast buffet bar, swaying uncertainly, as Shadow spoke to Gerald about school arrangements. He narrowly avoided falling over as he reached out tentatively for a plate, and N.I.C.O.L.E swooped past him, telling him to get back to his seat as she saw that the hedgie, in his pseudo-inebriated state, was more likely to cause an accident than anything else. She filled a plate, and set it before Mirius, before disappearing to collect the Maths syllabus that Gerald had left on his desk.

As he ate, he slowly regained alertness, and he noticed that N.I.C.O.L.E floated down from the stairs with two bags, one velvety black, and the other….a bright white, with silver clasps and….was that his name embroidered in silver thread? N.I.C.O.L.E set the bags before them, before disappearing, to prepare the car. He examined both bags closely, and he noticed Shadow's name embroidered in crimson thread, as well as the bags both looking strikingly similar.

"Is this….for me?" he asked tentatively, voice edging towards disbelief.

"Indeed."

"But…why?"

"Well, it was a gift, because I really had no idea how to give you anything that could make up for the love you show me, and this was the only major upcoming event, and yeah I thought you would like it….yeah."

Mirius couldn't believe his ears. Was Shadow rambling? Taciturn, sarcastic Shadow, rambling on how much he loved him? He broke into a smile, grabbing Shadow in a hug.

"Idiot! I love you, and will always love you! You don't need to get something to repay me, you are my best present!" he cried, voice cracking with emotion, as Shadow looked at him, love and confusion mirrored in his eyes.

They were interrupted with a soft cough, and they turned to see Gerald looking at them, fully dressed in his principal's regalia, tie straightened, before where it disappeared into his lab coat. "Sorry to interrupt this touching display, but we must really get going now," he said, hiding a smile as he strode off to the car, Mirius and Shadow scrambling behind him.

It was still dark, and frigid winds cut through their thin uniforms as they hurried into the car, breath fogging in the air. The floor was covered in ice, and they slipped and slid over it, with the exception of Shadow, who levitated over the ice with his rocket skates, dropping unscathed into the car's backseat. Mirius has less luck than that; he slipped on a patch of ice, and barely caught on to the back of the car, arms pinwheeling frantically in his brief moment of frictionless-ness. "All alright?" Gerald asked, turning the key in the ignition, looking in the mirror to ascertain their well-being.

The car crunched out into the dark and cold January morning, flakes of frost dancing in their headlights as Gerald pulled out of the driveway to Robotnik Residences. The ice under the car crunched and crackled as they drove along the road, Gerald careful to keep the needle below sixty kilometres per hour. The road was deserted at this time, and Mirius found himself nodding off at the monochromatic scenery, and fell asleep on Shadow's shoulder, Shadow wrapping his arms around him before he too leaned his head on his shoulder. Gerald peered at the both of them from the rearview mirror, lips curving into a smile as he saw the cute couple in the backseat, and turned his attention back to driving. He would have some interesting in-laws, if they got married, but he knew that he would still treat Mirius as if he was his own grandson.

* * *

Elsewhere on Mobius, in the sleepy town on Bygone Island, a certain royal blue hedgehog opened his eyes to the loud blaring of his alarm clock, and he drowsily slammed his hand down on the snooze button, slowly pulling himself out of bed. Or he would have, had he not noticed the small pool of whitish-clear fluid trickling down his lean, yet strong thighs. His dick was just beginning to soften, and he carefully extricated himself from his bed, his cock still leaking the last remnants of his wet dream. He barely remembered the specifics, only knowing that it had something to do with Tails and him, and a lot of intimate movements. Cursing under his breath as small droplets of cum dripped from his penis onto his floor, he hopped into his shower, and accidentally opened the tap to full, blasting the sensitive head of his cock with a full-on high pressured spray of freezing cold water.

"Yeowch!" he screeched, cradling the soft sensitive head of his cock in one hand, and slapping the tap to a more bearable pressure and temperature, before gently rinsing off his private parts, the sticky white fluid coagulating into a whitish mass in the drain. _I'm never sleeping immediately after texting Tails again,_ he thought, saturating his fur and quills with water and soap, before rinsing it all off, and drying himself.

He stepped out of the shower, a spring in his step even though school was starting, and he himself was puzzled by that. Turning, he regarded his bed, the semen already drying into a white crystalline patch on his sheets, lending it a strange aroma, the same which Mirius had smelt. He rolled his eyes at the sheets. "Whatever," he said, putting on his school uniform, just to be greeted by the roar of the bus that crossed the causeway trundling off, and he cursed silently under his breath. _No more Mirius to drive us to school, huh,_ he thought sullenly, and hitched his backpack over his shoulder, clicking off his Inhibitor Ring that the President had made a law about wearing. 'To protect the citizens and infrastructure', he had said, before demanding that all Mobians with powers wear them. It blunted Knuckles' strength, his speed, and Silver's and Blaze's powers, weakening them, but not completely removing them. But, now with it off…

* * *

Silver and Blaze sat quietly in the bus, listening to the vibrating roar of the engine shake the floor of the bus, as the heavy diesel-driven bus trundled towards the causeway between the mainland and Bygone Island. Blaze pulled at her tie, making a face as it choked her slightly, and Silver sighed, readjusting her tie, his delicate fingers brushing past her cheeks as he did so, out of their usual gloves. Opening his shirt, she buried her face into his chest fur, smothering herself in the fluffy white fur, hiding the faint blush on her face. Silver wrapped his arms around his adoptive sister, hiding _his_ blush that threatened to turn him the colour of Knuckles. The small erection in his pants was somewhat harder to hide, and he shifted his legs to bring them further from Blaze, who dozed in his arms.

They were interrupted by the whoosh of air that tore past the bus, a faint blue streak shooting off into the distance. That blue streak was none other than Sonic, and he had only just figured out why he was walking with such a spring in his step. He was going to see Tails, and not even the great Amadeus Prower could stop him. At least that was what he hoped, with fingers crossed.

* * *

Ebony and cream tangled themselves in each other's arms, dozing off in the velvety comfort of each other. Gerald peered at the cute couple again, making sure they weren't doing illegal things on his watch; after all, he was still the principal. The car slid across the icy road, every move precarious and gut-wrenchingly unrestrained. They fishtailed wildly across the road, Gerald murmuring soft swear words as he fought for control of the vehicle, the icy road threatening to tear that fragile vestige of control out of his hands. The two teenagers in the back slid from side to side as Gerald sent the car one way, then the other.

The crunching of ice beside them woke Mirius, and he blearily opened his eyes, to see a smirking Amadeus Prower drive past, a sullen Tails in the back. The ice tyres he had installed chewed through the ice, and the arrogant face of Amadeus soon disappeared from view as he confidently powered off before them, leaving small flecks of ice floating in his wake.

"Mirius, can you do something about the ice?" Gerald asked, face twisting into a frown as his subordinate blasted him with blatant disrespect, the floating ice on his windscreen testament to that. Mirius frowned, collecting his thoughts to focus his magical powers, silver light flaring to life around him. Drawing on his power, he forced the ice before them to part, the grinding and snapping of ice sheets sending loud reports cracking across the chill morning air. The hard black asphalt underneath revealed, Gerald sped on, cruising past Amadeus Prower, whose face contorted to a grimace of amazement as they shot past him, Tails' own mouth opened in a silent 'o'.

* * *

The sun wasn't even _close_ to rising when they arrived at the school, and Gerald wheeled his car into the carpark, the gantry barrier lifting as it detected his identity. Interestingly enough, an Eggmobile was already parked in a space, the lights off but the obnoxious Robotnik logo brilliant red and standing out in the dimness.

Gerald nosed his car into his favourite parking spot, before turning off the engine and opening the door, letting the frigid air whistle in, waking the two teenagers. "Solaris, it's _cold_ ," Mirius muttered, pulling his coat around him as icy knives of wind slipped through the fabric, cutting at him. Shadow rolled his eyes at him. "Why, thank you, Captain Obvious," he said, climbing out of the door. Mirius bent down, drawing something in the frosty ice, and Shadow looked down to see a 'Fall down here!' drawn in a circle with a big cross in the centre. "Solaris, you're _sooooo_ immature," Shadow groaned, only to have Mirius slip his arms around his, kissing him on the lips. "But that's why you like me, hmm?" he whispered, and Shadow could barely help but grin. "Of course."

* * *

Silver had plugged in his earpieces to his phone, and stuck one into Blaze's ear before putting one into his, and he leant back, pulling his gloves on to shield his hands from the bite of the cold as the ancient heater tried to do battle against Mother Nature. It was a losing battle of attrition, and it told in the constant repair marks it bore, the sounds of coolant sloshing out and leaving a strange chemical smell where it stained. Turquoise light flickered across the patterns on his gloves, and he wrapped his arms around Blaze's shoulders, into which she snuggled deeper.

* * *

Amadeus spat a string of invectives, none of which were sanctioned by the Holy Bible of Solaris. Tails sank deeper into his seat, trying not to die of embarrassment as the words flew over his head, and he clung onto his seatbelt for dear life. Gunning the engine, Amadeus tried, yet failed to catch up to the rapidly disappearing tailpipe of Gerald's car, the ice seemingly to miraculously shift out of his way, and close back behind him. Pounding his steering wheel, he spat another round of obscenities and yanked hard on the wheel, almost sending both of them off the road into a tree. _Dear Solaris, please let me reach school in one piece,_ Tails silently prayed, almost laughing at the irony of his situation.

Breaking the sound barrier, Sonic leapt across the causeway, and blasted through the empty streets, the flakes of frost exploding into dust when they hit him. He passed Amadeus' car, a shockwave of sound causing his car to shudder, and Tails to have a tiny smile on his face as Amadeus threatened to call the police, the futile vulgarity-laden words falling away as Sonic moved faster than the sound of his words.

Mirius and Shadow slipped out of the carpark and headed to the square in the centre of the school, a large concrete ground where morning assemblies were conducted and where sports were played. Gerald headed to his office, pausing to greet Ivo as he bumbled around, Orbot and Cubot desperately trying to orientate him. "Here, Doctor, the toilet is here," Orbot said, floating in that general direction. Gerald sighed. "Just don't break anything, okay?"

* * *

The assembly ground was freezing, with small piles of ice everywhere. It only had a few people: The Chaotix lounging in a corner, Jet the nice friendly hawk with his friends, and…..Amy Rose, the psychotic pink princess. "Solaris, must I see her this early in the morning?" Mirius mumbled, looking for his class's position. Double science was his choice, and he had elected to drop Physics to do Higher Chemistry. Shadow had coincidentally done the same thing, and they were in the same class, although he didn't do Higher Chemistry. Only three people—no _four_ —took a Higher subject: Tails with his Higher Physics, Fiona with her Higher Literature, Mirius with his Higher Chemistry, and the latest addition of Amy Rose in Higher Solarity or whatever Big the Cleric chose to call the subject, as well his position in the church. He was extremely fickle about what he called "materialistic assets", although he never failed to achieve what he desired in terms of those "materialistic assets".

They two hedgies sat down on the cold floor, before immediately standing. "Solaris, it's _really_ cold!" Mirius squeaked, before bending down to trace the symbol for heat into the snow, and sending it a spark of power. The ice melted into a watery slush in a three-metre circle around them, and the symbol was gone, lost in the effects of the magic. Mirius tsked at the shoddy effects, the water quickly refreezing. Staring at the ice, he called up some of his power, silver light glowing faintly as the ice sizzled and boiled off, and he touched the now warm concrete. "Okie, you can sit now."

* * *

The bus ground to a shuddering halt, and Silver jerked awake, to feel Blaze's hand resting on his crotch, gently squeezing it like she squeezed her pillow. Stifling a shriek, he took her hand off, and shook her awake, levitating their bags out of the bus as he half-carried Blaze out. They saw a small rabbit hop out of the front, and waved her over. "Cream! How are you?" Silver asked, while shaking Blaze awake. "Solaris, just five more minutes!" she cried, leaning on Silver.

"Oh, it was wonderful, I worked during my holidays, at the mall in Central City," Cream said blithely, while Silver finally woke Blaze up. "I was doing retail, selling watches. Yeah, I know _very glamourous right?_ " Blaze perked up at that. "Which floor? The first or the fifth?"

Cream shook her head. "Second floor, the midrange watches."

Blaze sighed. "Pity, I could have used a discount… I do love the midrange watches that are soooo aesthetic, and also cheap…ish."

They entered the courtyard together, passing by the carefully cultured gardens, and walked into the school proper, the assembly ground glittering with frost. Silver suddenly spoke, his voice strangely anxious.

"Do you guys think that Mirius hates me?"

Cream furrowed her brow, careful to show no real sign of her emotions.

"Why the random question?"

"Because he seems to be avoiding me a lot, ignoring me sometimes, and basically giving me the cold shoulder. Also he seems to be go out a lot with Shadow, when he used to try to ask me to go out with him."

"I dunno, give me an example?"

Silver sighed. "Okay, watch."

They strode up to where Mirius sat with Shadow, and leaning on each other's shoulders. "Hey, Mirius and Shadow," Silver said, making both of them jerk up and turn around.

"Hey, Cream, Blaze… and oh, hi there Silver." Mirius murmured, with a tone that seemed like he had seen Cream before Silver. Silver looked to be on the verge of tears, lip quivering, and Blaze pulled him away, before he could start bawling before Mirius and Shadow. Cream sat down with the two hedgies, settling comfortably on the pleasantly warm floor, courtesy of Mirius.

"That wasn't very nice of you," she said, eyes tracking Silver and Blaze. Mirius shrugged.

"He wasn't nice about what I was," he said.

"Should you become like him?"

"You know what kind of person I am, Cream."

"Okay, I understand…but don't you think it's time to forgive him?"

"I'll see how."

"By the ways, what is keeping the floor warm?" she wondered aloud, and Mirius grinned.

"Tell you when Rouge comes."

* * *

Amadeus finally turned into the carpark after dropping Tails off at the front gate. Unlike Gerald, he believed that the students should all walk, and not be driven in just because it was more convenient. So, the twin-tailed fox strolled into the gates, passing by the bushes in the garden.

Sonic was crouched behind one of the bushes, lying in wait for his boyfriend. Unfortunately for him, he had accidentally chosen a rose bush to hide behind. When Tails walked by, he suddenly jumped out, landing on the bush in front of Tails.

"Surprise!"

Tails recoiled shrieking, until he realised it was Sonic, and instantly quietening. "That's very nice of you, but did you have to do that?" Sonic grinned at him, shaking his head. "Nope."

Tails broke into a wide smile, and, seeing no one around, bent down to kiss Sonic on the lips. Sonic, not expecting that, let out a small whine as he felt his heart melt a little, and prolonged the kiss a little longer than he should have, seeing how Tails was so satisfied at having surprised him for once. They were, unknowingly, seen by Knuckles, who walked past as quietly as possible, filming the whole thing with his phone.

Tails broke the kiss first, giggling a little. "You do realise what bush this is, right?" Sonic glanced down, puzzled by the strange question. Then it poked him.

"Oh, _shit._ "

* * *

The pulling up of a _certain_ car at the driveway of the school had all the boys turning their heads. It was still dark, and cold, but these conditions could not daunt the boys, who watched eagerly for the person in the car. A heel-clad leg swung out, and all the boys stared at the door, anticipation running high. All but Sonic, Tails, Mirius and Shadow, who were barely affected. The rest of the body swung out of the car, and the stunning figure of Rouge appeared, causing all the boys to start salivating and tripping over their own feet. The boys fought for her favour, and the girls treaded carefully around her; being one of the most popular and beautiful girls in the school tended to lead to that. The only thing that brought a wrinkle to her brow might be Fiona, who was her competitor in the school's hierarchy. Or as she put it, the _two-faced cow that happened to get good genes and if you go near her I will kill you._

Catching sight of Mirius and Cream, she sashayed her way to them, all the boys giving Mirius death stares as she flashed him a brilliant smile, seeing his usual greeting barely changing when she did that. She had known he was gay for quite a while before he had even told them; her gaydar was _that_ good. After all, no straight guy ever worries about getting dirt on his pristine white shoes, and barely reacted to the hottest girl in school smiling at him, but stares for hours at some other white hedgehog and says he's cute.

"So, any tea to spill, girls?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Shadow, who nodded back at her. Mirius seemed to light up at that. "First things first, I have the best tea ever!"

Standing up, and pulling Shadow to his feet, he fell into Shadow's embrace, kissing him on the lips. Rouge and Cream let out a low whistle at the same time, looking at each other. "So you got Shadow as a boyfriend now? You finally dumped Silver?" they chorused at the same time, before clapping hands over their mouths and pulling the couple down to a sitting position.

Across the square, Silver heard only snatches of their conversation, but it was enough. "….boyfriend…..dumped Silver." He shivered, the information making sense. No wonder Mirius had been so cold to him. Mirius had actually fallen in _love_ with him, and he had been such an ass to him. Closing his eyes, he felt a tear track down his face, dripping onto his lap as he quietly sniffled, Blaze turning around to see what he was doing. "You okay, Silver?" she asked gently, warm fingers tracing his arms as he cried. "No…I know why Mirius is being so distant…..and it's all my fault." Blaze leant down, pushing his hands out of his face, to gaze into his tear-stricken eyes. "Then go and apologize for it. He will forgive you, but you have to take the first step. Go, Silver." _And be the person I know you are,_ she thought silently, before pushing him gently. He remained still. "I'll apologise during break time, when he's alone."

Then, a loud catcall echoed across the square. "FAGGOT! FAGGOT! FAGGOT!" The Chaotix called, pointing at Mirius and Shadow. Amy stared daggers at Mirius but he gave a simple indifferent stare. He already knew that Amy would take Higher Solarity if she could, and it was no surprise she put her god before her friends. He opted to sit quietly with Shadow, murmuring at him to remind him to poison Vector someday.

Cream abruptly stood up. "Well, I didn't want to disappoint you guys, but I was moved to a different class, the one with triple science. But I also don't really want to sit on freezing ground, so…help me out Mirius?"

"Wait, so it's warm cause of you, Mirius?" Rouge butted in. Mirius nodded. "Yeah, I do have magic, as unbelievable as that might be."

Hunting around in his bag, he pulled out his pencil case, and pulled out a little amethyst, set in a ring, the gem twined in silver. "Percival gave it to me, and said it contained quite a bit of magic. I don't really know how much, so take it, and try to use it?" Cream looked even more confused than ever, so Mirius took it from her, explaining.

"Try to focus on it, and like, wish in your mind for it to do something, in this case, warm you up." Cream gingerly took the ring, and cupped it in her hand, eyes shut in concentration. She achieved absolutely nothing, other than a headache after ten minutes of trying. Mirius sighed, and took out some foolscape, drawing the symbol for heat. "Keep this paper, and draw the symbol when you need heat. Touch the ring to the symbol, and it will drain magic off to power the spell." Cream slipped the ring on her finger, and took the sheet of paper. "Thanks a lot!"

Shadow suddenly tapped his shoulder. "You _sure_ it won't blow up, right?" Mirius laughed. "Relax! I didn't add the symbol for magnification, so it should be alright." Rouge had sat down in the area of the spell, and was already chatting with Jet, the green hawk somewhat overwhelmed by the fact that one of the hottest girls in school was talking to _him_.

* * *

The sharp booming of the mic caused all the students to sit sharply upright, and all to look at the podium, where Gerald tapped on the mic. "All students, please get into your classes now, as morning assembly is about to begin." Mirius sighed, turning around to sit in twos with Shadow, and Rouge sitting behind him.

The usual pleasantries were exchanged, with Gerald welcoming the students back, and making the announcements for the morning. The students all perked up when his usual speech deviated from the norm, watching and listening intently.

"And today, I'm pleased to announce that we have a new teacher joining us. Please, let's welcome Mr Big, teacher of hmmm….. Solarity?" The big purple cat took the mic from Gerald, smiling at everyone. "Good morning, students and colleagues. I will be teaching the subject of Solarity, its history and the power that the god can provide. Please, all Solarians, do come early in the morning to pray for the school, and how the times have been changing to become more sinful. Thank you."

His yellow eyes flickered over Mirius leaning on Shadow's shoulder, his hands in his ebony counterpart's lap, his mouth falling into a disapproving frown. His gaze roved over the school, identifying the Solarians that he had seen in his church. Gerald scooted in front of him, taking the mic from Big's hands. "That will be all for morning assembly, and you are dismissed. Thank you."

Mirius sighed, picking up his bag, and turned around to come face to face with Sonic. "Where did you come from?" he asked, not noticing Sonic's presence at all. He glanced around, looking for his yellow fox, but quickly realised that they had split class; Tails was in the triple science class with Cream. Sonic gave him a sad smile, and he sighed, knowing how they were separated, and already facing so many challenges to their relationship. "Don't give up, okay? You'll have time to see him, I promise you that."

"First class is Chemistry, and we've got to hurry cause it's practical," Shadow said, picking up his pace. Interestingly, Silver was in the triple science class as well, and they hurried away for a math lecture, Tails being the only one who actually seemed _excited_ for math.

They rounded the corner, almost walking into Earthia, who smiled at them, as they queued up. "Please, do come in. Your register numbers haven't changed, so you can sit at your same place, alright?" Mirius sighed, realising that he would have to split with Shadow. On the plus side, he sat with Sonic, so it wasn't _that_ bad. Shadow would sit with Jet, and Rouge sat alone, although not by her own design. She fumed slightly, annoyed at sitting so far away from any one she deemed to be good conversation, and sat sullenly checking her makeup.

Earthia bustled in, papers rustling as she swept into the class, pulling off an elegant walk even with her size. "Today, we will be doing a simple acid-base titration, with a new indicator this time: bromothymol blue. Yes, I know it stinks, but you will only use a few drop — _no it's not that bad, Rouge and yes you will need to remove your nail polish_." She said, seeing Rouge's nose wrinkle as she smelt the indicator. "Solaris, how can you all be chemists if you say it's all stinky?" she commented, a small snort of laughter escaping her hand, which sped to her mouth. "Anyways, please begin."

* * *

Blaze rolled her eyes at the orientation leader. It was a female fox, who seemed to be overly enthusiastic for the orientation, and she found herself instantly disliking her. And she was _bored._ She had envisioned studies and friends, not really imagining orientation to be so annoying. And, if she had to guess, humiliating too; she heard rumours of a couple dance, and knew how Mirius had managed to snag Silver for it, gliding through the moves like he had been doing it all his life while Silver awkwardly followed the male counterpart's moves. A smile glimmered on her face as she imagined Silver dancing, and she stifled a giggle, listening to the announcements the fox, apparently named Zooey, was making, and heaved a sigh of relief to hear that the couple dance would be on Thursday. At least not today. At least.

* * *

Fiona hurried along the corridors, thinking about what to do next. She could obviously increase her power base by recruiting the fresh blood, or she could increase her academic standing with a consultation with Amadeus. She stopped in her tracks, finally coming to a decision. The newbies would still be there tomorrow. Her break period would not. And, more importantly, Amadeus would not. Spinning on her heel, she sped off to the staff room, waving at her acquaintances-in-crime, the Chaotix.

Her eyes gleaming with false gladness, she knocked on the staff room door, and greeted the teacher with the most pretentious of smiles, and sweetly asked for Doctor Amadeus, her voice dripping with false cheer. He answered the door, face lighting up in recognition and pleasure, seeing his favourite student apparently wanting to learn more about her subject, and stepped out of the staff room, heading to the library, where a multitude of secluded rooms lay available for the teacher's use for consultations. She followed, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Everything was going to go her way this year, no exceptions or fuck ups. Every. Single. Thing.

* * *

Elsewhere on the campus, a slightly cultish class was going on, if it could even be classified as such. It was Big's first lesson, and he was lecturing on sin, and how it was unacceptable before Solaris.

"See, His holiness is far too great for any mortal to be close to, or even observe, as any speck of sin, any smudge of uncleanness will destroy that mortal. So, He gave us a solution, in the form of ablution, that we may come before Him, as He sacrificed Himself, the Two that are One. He gave us Mephilies, the spirit of wisdom and conscience, and separated from Himself, Iblis, that we may not be destroyed by the fires of Hell. He cast Iblis down, underfoot, and we may call on his power to do so to the demons that Iblis sends against us, to tempt and to deceive. So reads the seventh passage of the twenty-first chapter of His holy book."

The morbidly fat cleric closed the book, the soft sound barely audible in the curtain-cloaked hall. "Can anyone tell me how we may tap into this great power that He has given us?" he asked, eyes scanning the rows, seeing Amy and Knuckles sit or in Knuckles' case, sleep in his seat. Amy raised her hand, to the chagrin of most of the other students, who knew the answer but were too self-conscious to say it aloud.

"Prayer, Mr Big."

The cleric raised a hand at the whole class, gesturing at them. "She is correct! Prayer is a way to unlock the power of Solaris! But what is another?"

The whole class looked at him, confused. All their life, they had only learnt that prayer was a conduit for them to entreat with the god, and now there was another? Big seemed satisfied, clapping his hands for their attention. "Please, be a good person and turn off the lights in the lecture theatre, Mr Knuckles?"

In the darkness, Big seemed to grow even larger, looming before them. "The god provides many ways to draw from His divine might. Writing is one. In the ancient church, the old vulgate was in fact, the channel of power that the god's power took. Indeed, your bibles will have the specific prayers in the ancient tongue at the back, if you did buy the study version, which I wrote from the ancient archives deep under the basilica, where the power of the god holds back time. The archives are the same today as it was in the time of the Great Wars. Well, they have been added to, of course, but the place is still timeless as ever."

Amy raised her hand, then realised it was pointless in the dark, and called out her question. "Why haven't we learnt this yet? Why only when taking this course?"

Big's answer was simple. "The god's powers are not for fools. Now, on with the first one, the symbol that creates light, the first command of the god. You must be good enough to draw the symbol in utter darkness, to prove your skill and connection to the god. The god will guide you, if you are worthy."

The cleric then pulled a sheet of paper out and drew quickly, the lines as accurate in the light as in the dark, looping in the ancient scrawl of the time long past.

A sharp blaze of brilliant light illuminated the theatre, destroying the shadows that only a while ago, ruled the theatre. The blaze was bright enough to illuminate the whole room, and the students screwed their eyes shut, seeking respite from the light that burned at their corneas. Big smudged out a line, and the glow dimmed, before dying completely. "Now, you try."

Amy drew confidently, and she was rewarded with a careless result; the symbol was poorly done and weak, the pale glow barely bright enough to be detectable. Knuckles looked at her work, before snorting. "I can do so much better!" he scoffed, before his symbol barely lit up at all, so badly done it was. Big sighed, turning back on the lights. "Let us move on, to some more useful symbols?"

* * *

Tails sighed for the third time that minute, already lost in his daydreams, and Silver hurriedly scrawled notes in his lecture book, nudging Tails to wake him up, which he never did. He kept sighing, his mind far, far away from the lecture, and Silver noticed that his pen doodled Sonic's name on the corners of the lecture book. The white hedgehog sighed mentally, his pen writing intricate mathematical notations all over both books, and he nudged Tails again with his elbow, with more force this time, startling him and making him drop the pen he was holding. "Problem there, Mister Prower?" Gerald called, interrupted in the middle of his lesson. Tails frantically shook his head, before bending down to pick up his pen, his pants creasing around his erection. Silver saw this and quickly looked away, his face blushing at the outrage of modesty he had just sort of committed. Oopsie. "Now, Sigma ur lower limit of r equals one, and upper limit of n, equals to…" Silver frantically copied as he spoke, pen scratching paper as Gerald continued on.

* * *

Maria awoke to the urge to pee, and she flung off her blanket with no small annoyance, wanting to be up by ten. Running to the toilet, she emptied her bladder, before brushing her teeth and taking a quick shower, throwing on her favourite blue dress, that Mirius said he was going to do embroidery with, but hadn't started. "Oh thank Solaris," she sighed, as she saw the time to be only eight in the morning, and had thought she had overslept; usually she did not wake up to the urge to pee unless she was late. "Gotta stop drinking Mobian coffee," she said, stretching herself as she traipsed down to the training room Shadow had, limbering herself up.

She did her usual stretches, loosening up her body as she prepared herself to practice, taking out points of all her movements to teach Mirius. Her style was to defeat strength with intelligence, and so far, her style had been successful. Of course, it had only been because of constant refinement, that she could calmly face down a machine programmed to kill, and still emerge victorious. Without that, she might be dead. Although, it didn't save her from being shot dead, it just made her harder to kill. _Much_ harder.

She went through static exercises that she had designed, from the martial arts that G.U.N had taught Shadow, after she had refined it further to enable a person of her build to take on Shadow and be locked in stalemate after five straight minutes of straight duelling. But even static exercises, as well planned as they were, couldn't account for the unpredictability of a dynamic opponent, so she called for N.I.C.O.L.E to send her a robot opponent.

N.I.C.O.L.E obliged her with one programmed in the martial arts that G.U.N taught its personnel, a blend of styles that was higher than any taught in standard military, and was unpredictable and random, yet swift and brutally efficient. The robot was of the same size and make as a human man, and she stood calmly before it, arms raised in the elegant and energy-efficient stance of her style, hands opened, and feet set in a stable stance.

The robot rushed her without warning, opening with a leaping kick that she blocked on her forearms, and she reeled back, letting its energy expend itself in its attacks, deflecting or diverting each one, before she braced herself, killing all its forward momentum with a solid block that locked the both of them in a standstill, arms fighting for positions of power. Her hands sought for a way out, and she spun, sweeping the leg out from under the robot, while striking at its chest with her freed hand.

The robot crashed to the ground, but was up instantly, leaping to its feet and striking out at her with hands and feet. She threw its guard wide open with a block, and sent the robot flying back with a solid forward kick, knocking it to the ground. But it leapt up at her, undeterred, giving her the best its circuits could provide, its creativity module running at full speed as it lashed out at her, spinning kicks, traps, feints and strikes. But Maria was far too good, and she had a mind much, _much_ more powerful than some tin-can robotic brain. She flowed around every attack, diverting and stealing some energy to power her own strikes, dropping her elbow to deflect an arm before driving stiffened fingers into the robot's optical sensors, breaking them with a tinkling of shattered glass. Dusting off her fingers, she smiled at N.I.C.O.L.E, before climbing upstairs to the house.

* * *

"Solaris, help me I'm stuck in this hellhole," Blaze muttered under her breath, as she twirled across the floor with the entire cohort of newbies, before tripping on her feet and crashing into a small seedrian, and sending both of them to the floor. "Ouch! For the love of Solaris, can you get up?!" The small green seedrian cried, pinned to the ground by Blaze. _For precisely the love of Solaris, I shall not,_ she thought, before rolling off the seedrian, and faced her, only to be met with a strikingly familiar face.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked, and the seedrian shook her head.

"I've never met anyone who resembles you, but I don't know, it could be possible… By the way, I'm Cosmo," the seedrian said, offering her hand. Blaze took it. "I'm Blaze."

* * *

Mirius came to an awful realisation. He was _slow._ He hadn't done this sort of volumetric analysis for a _long_ time, and it was telling in his uncertainty, as well as handling of apparatus. He had almost _broken_ the pipette, for crying out loud. "Shit, shit, shit," he softly muttered, the swearwords almost inaudible as he hurried as much as possible, highly tempted to pipette by mouth; the pump was so _fucking slow_. Sonic had, perhaps miraculously, gotten the green endpoint, and was happily doing his second one while Mirius was still stuck with three close values but all of which were excessive titres. Oh _great_ , even _Jet_ had the green endpoint already.

He looked at the solution. It was already the palest of yellows, and he let the burette grow a droplet on the tip, before washing it down with deionised water. With swirling, he slowly lowered his gaze to the flask, almost afraid to look…

HALLELUJAH PRAISE SOLARIS! He mentally screamed, seeing the pale green colour. Looking up, he recorded the burette reading, before frowning. He got 22.05cm3 this time, but the previous times, he had gotten 22.10cm3. What in titration was going on here?! Brilliant; he just had to redo another, and hope he got a titre value of 22.05 or he was screwed. Totally doable.

Shadow glanced up suddenly, feeling a surge of Chaos Energy flood through the school, before dissipating. Extending his senses, he searched for the source, feeling it was somewhere close by, to his left. Scooting to Mirius' lab bench, he gestured for him to follow and he did, asking Earthia if they could go to the toilet.

"What's going on?" Mirius asked, following closely behind Shadow.

"I sensed a surge of Chaos Energy, and I think it could be some sort of Chaos Energy weapon, so I'm investigating. It' about…here." They stopped before lecture theatre 4, listening to the loud voice of Big resonate through the room.

* * *

"These are the symbols for warding against witchcraft, and demons and sorcerers and what else have you." He said, while demonstrating them on the board. "Usually, these prayers are used to protect places of the god, and they are what surrounds the building. And they are hammered out of silver, which makes them better conductors of the god's power. Anyways, this is what happens when you write them; they channel the god's power against the powers of sorcery. Mirius' eyes widened. So this was why the bible that Amy was buying could interfere with the spell of concealment. And then, he peeped in, to see Big write the last symbol, and the world exploded in a blaze of white light.

Shadow's eyes widened to see and sense Chaos Energy suddenly flare all around Mirius, and exploded in a blaze of light, burning brighter and brighter, and he thought he could hear Mirius screaming. "Mirius! What's going on? Are you okay?"

The lash of Chaos Energy burned him, and Mirius could feel it trying to destroy him, tearing away at his substance, disintegrating his atoms. His magic suddenly burst forth instinctively to protect him, shattering the Chaos Energy, and sheathing him in brilliant silver light, before turning back onto the source. Big's eyes widened as he saw the symbols on the board suddenly burst aflame, and as the god's power failed, the whiteboard charred where the symbols used to be. The whole class was astir, worriedly asking what was going on, and beseeching the god to protect them.

Shadow looked at the surprised Mirius, and they quickly disappeared into the boy's toilet, before Big could think of investigating outside. Breathing raggedly, Mirius sat down heavily on the bench for changing, while Shadow absent-mindedly washed his hands. "You okay there?" the ebony hedgie asked, before realising he was washing his gloves and not his hands, and jerked them back suddenly. Mirius nodded, wincing a little; the power of the god had still hurt him before his magic could protect him. He felt rather delicate, as if his skin would rub off, and gingerly stood up. Closing his eyes, he channelled some of his magic to healing, the silvery glow playing around his body as it restored itself. "This could become an issue," he said to Shadow, who nodded doubtfully. "I don't think I could protect myself against another of those attacks, and if they conduct this class every day of the week, I either have to stay far enough, or keep up a powerful shield that I don't have the magic for." Shadow thought about that for a moment. "Well, we have class now, so let's go. We can think about this during break."

Earthia gave them curious looks when they returned to the lab, before the bell rang. "Okay, class is dismissed," she said, still wondering why they took so long in the toilet. Shadow took Mirius' arm, steering him through the crowd of students, as they headed to the canteen, sliding into a seat. Their group nucleated around them, Jet _still_ talking to Rouge.

"Alright, so why did both of you disappear into the toilet for so long? I had to wash your stuff, you know," Sonic teasingly said, while Tails leant on his shoulder. "Took five minutes of my life away, when I could be doing something else." Shadow rolled his eyes at him, while Jet looked somewhat apprehensively at them. "Don't fight, okay?" he said, and Sonic burst out laughing.

"Relax, we aren't arguing! At least not yet, but who knows?" Mirius took this opening to insert himself into the conversation.

"So, we went to the toilet for so long because Shadow detected surges of Chaos Energy in the school, and thought it might be a weapon. So, we went to check it out, and it turned out to be in Big's class, so we went there, and then a 'god-powered attack' hit me, and then we hid in the toilet." His fingers wiggled in the quotation marks of doubt. Tails frowned. "How can that be? I kind of want to check it out now, but we have school… unless Sonic can do something about that?" Shadow grinned. "I know just what to do."

Moments later, the secretary found himself with seven green slips, indicating the need to leave due to illness, the name of which sounded impressively long. Tsking, he dumped them into the box labelled "Valid Reason", before opening the attendance list, and ticking Mirius, Shadow, Silver, Sonic, Tails, Jet and Rouge. "Neuro-immune-deficiency-syndrome, huh?"

* * *

Tails dug into his bag of…stuff, and pulled out some weird contraption with some antennae at the top, before plugging it into his wrist computer. It was a stroke of ingenuity on Tails' part, disguising the valuable computer as a watch, ensuring that Amadeus wouldn't confiscate it. He tapped quickly into it, activating a graph interface. "Okay, this is a Chaos Energy resonance detector, which will resonate at the frequency of ambient Chaos Energy, which should be more accurate than the pin-point one, which detects specific frequencies." Sonic looked at him with more than a hint of confusion on his face, which Tails shrugged off, before walking off with the whole group.

Jet looked at the theatre that Big had lectured in just now. The lights were off, and the air conditioner silent, giving the air a still feel, that made every footstep echo through the whole place. "So what are we looking for, exactly?" he whispered, and Mirius whispered back at him. "Some form of Chaos Energy signature that reacted to me. By the way, why are we whispering?" Shadow broke in. "I don't know, just do it."

Tails' computer flared with peaks, detecting the residual Chaos Energy that had flared sharply just now. Chaos Energy was present throughout the whole world, and was produced as well as concentrated in the Chaos Emeralds. However, whatever had happened just now had pulled a large concentration into the theatre, and even now, it still left a detectable amount in the place. Mirius suddenly bent over, pulling out something from under a seat, before dropping it as brilliant light flared over the object, and causing Tails' computer to spike again. "Ouch!" Mirius yelled, as the light illuminated the object that emitted it. It was a book, the holy bible of Solaris, and it burned with a bright light, warding against Mirius' presence.

"So it _is_ true. The god's power is nothing more than…Chaos Energy?" Tails murmured slowly, still unable to believe it. He brought the computer closer, tails flicking in anxious anticipation as the readings grew higher and higher. Mirius reached out with a finger, and the light grew brighter, straining to touch him and burn him. The runes on the book seemed to move, with the glow of the light ebbing and flowing, shining ever brighter. "Tails, how far can I bring my hand before it burns me?" Mirius asked quietly, while Silver tried to lift the book with his telekinesis and finding out, to his annoyance, that it kept shattering his powers. Tails poked the probe at the book, and found the level skyrocketed, exponentially increasing as it got closer. "Not any closer, it seems." Mirius nodded, and slowly withdrew his hand, thinking. He was fairly sure that the church was protected with much more powerful symbols, and he wouldn't be able to enter, or even stay near the building. He was also fairly certain this was how the church performed their miracles, and how they could still persecute people and _still_ hold on to their influence. After all, no one says no to a person who can seemingly heal the near dead and call down lightning from the heavens.

He thought back to the time he had still been a pretty committed Solarian. It had been an odd time, compelled to do things for the glory of the god, and he had even witnessed healings taking place. Of course, now he saw less of this things, distancing himself from church, but he still vividly remembered a single horrifying occasion. Two hedgehogs had openly renounced the church, both pledging themselves to each other. Both were male, and for that crime, they had been dragged to the front by the mob, except Mirius who had run off into the toilet. He had then peeped out to see Big breaking bottles of wine on the stage, before ordering the crowd to throw the couple on the makeshift bed, after stripping them. He remembered their howls of pain, as the crowded jeered and kicked at them, while he watched, holding onto a strangely blue hedgehog and a golden fox, who had seen him dashing off, and followed suit. Then Big had them taken outside, and crucified, placing a nail into their testicles as well. Yet, they resolutely refused to die, crying out as the wine stung their wounds, and finally, at the end of his patience, Big had them staked to a wooden pole, before pouring the anointing oil on their head and their bodies, and setting them on fire with a prayer. He remembered the smell of charring flesh, the screams, and the frightened gasps of Tails.

Wait…why did those memories choose to resurface only now? He knew that memories tended to have triggers, and this one was linked to most things church-related, so that meant...

He spun around, his magical senses detecting Big nearby. "Big's here!" he quietly yelled, and threw a magical lock on the door, before pushing his friends to exit through the back door. The door rattled, and he knew the spell would not survive long in the proximity of a holy book.

Finally, they managed to make it out, spilling out near the classrooms, and breaking into a run to get out of school. After all, they weren't even _supposed_ to be in school anymore for this day.

Rouge took this opportunity to go off for shopping, while Jet went home, disappointed at having missed extra-curricular activities for today. The rest of them just disappeared into a cab, headed for Tails' lab on Bygone Island, where they _hoped_ he would have some answers.

The hot cramped ride back was not quick at all, despite the advertising on the side. But they did eventually make it there, after a half hour ride, with the air conditioner breaking down twice on the road. Mirius disappeared into the house, and the rest of them came in to find him in the fridge, door half closed as he tried to cool down, hugging the cold cans of soda. "Oooookay Mirius, you can get out of there now," Sonic said, pulling him out by the now cold legs, before dumping him on the ground.

"Okay, so here is my bible, that I have almost never used, and is not moldy at all!" Sonic said, while lifting up the book, and putting it on Tails' workbench, before moving away hastily as it began to glow, in response to Mirius' presence. Tails frowned at it, observing how to ambient Chaos Energy levels began to fall, as the book gathered it up and used it against Mirius. Silver light gathered around his body in response, and he pointed his fingers at the book, a burst of silver fire exploding harmlessly against it. Silver looked somewhat uncomfortable with the light exploding near him, and he sidled to the side, ducking behind a solid-looking shelf.

Mirius frowned at the book. "Then how am I supposed to stay in school if this keeps happening? I can't go against thirty plus skilled-ish Chaos Energy wielders!"

Shadow looked intently at the book, before removing one of his Inhibitor Rings onto the book. The light died almost immediately, as the Chaos Energy was siphoned off into the Ring, dragged into the Chaos Drive within it. The ambient Chaos Energy fell further, almost leaving them in a void of Chaos Energy, and some of Tails' machines began to fail, losing power as the surroundings gave up more of their energy. "Stop!" Tails cried, seeing his Chaos Energy converter fail, plunging his lab into darkness. Shadow swiped his Ring off the book, stopping the drain, but the book barely lit up again, so drained was the surroundings of power. "Well, that was strange," Mirius muttered, lighting up the room with a touch of magical light, before disappearing with Shadow, off to Shadow's home while Tails and Sonic looked at each other. "Well, now the others are gone…" Tails murmured into Sonic's ear, and Sonic grinned, and an undeniably horny smirk on his face, finishing his sentence for him. "Let's go have some fun, hmm?"

* * *

Silver decided to walk to Shadow's home, wanting to make his apology as sincere as possible. Chaos Control was all fine with Shadow, but he hadn't had an Emerald, neither was he capable of Chaos Control. So he could fly, but with the Inhibitor Ring the law had made compulsory to wear, he would likely crash on the way, so he still walked, the safest way to take.

He arrived at the residence within twenty minutes of brisk walking, crossing the causeway in less than ten minutes. The memories played in his mind, of him and Blaze with Mirius crossing this exact same place, and his eyes watered, glistening in the weak sun as he strode on. Summoning up is courage, he reached for the bell, pressing it before stepping back.

Mirius appeared, beating N.I.C.O.L.E to the door, and glanced at the gate, seeing the white quills of Silver stick up in their distinctive Red Maple leaf shape. Sighing, he walked down to the gate, and opened it. "What do you want?"

"I just came here to say…that I'm sorry." Mirius frowned at him. "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for being an insensitive prick, and hurting your feelings…I don't really know what else to say, but I'm really really sorry."

Mirius stared at him for a long time, breathing slow and even. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath, before speaking. "I'm sorry too, Silver."

Silver was flabbergasted. He had originally thought that he would be lucky if he got anything more than a nod from Mirius, before being sent packing, but the glistening eyes and the trembling lip gave a much deeper look into his thoughts. "I'm sorry for being like that the whole time to you. You see, I was the one arguing with you about people like me. You thought it was Blaze, but it wasn't; it was actually me. That's why I was so hurt when you said you didn't like people like me. That was because I used to _love_ you, you idiot."

Silver nodded, tears falling out of his eyes. "I know, I'm so sorry," he cried, sniffling. "How did you know?" Mirius asked, Silver taking deep breaths before continuing. "I heard you and Cream talking about me and about your boyfriend Shadow, so I figured it out." Mirius shook his head.

"At least I found someone who actually loves me now…but to me, you'll always be my friend," he said, pulling Silver into a hug before kissing him on the cheek. "Only as friends," he whispered into Silver's ear, before letting go of him, and pulling him into the house. "Shadow, Silver's staying for dinner," he called, before disappearing into some room, Maria poking her head out to see and wave at the _other_ white hedgehog in the room. Wait, Maria's alive?!

Maria ran down the stairs, complaining about the sheer abundance of white hedgehogs in the world, and Mirius laughed gently, in a strangely good mood despite the red puffy eyes. "You sure you okay?" she asked, and he laughed. "Never been better." He had gotten his friend back, and now, the group was complete again. "Well then, you could certainly take more lessons," she said, and his smile drained away. Oh, _crap._

* * *

 _So, whataya people think? Silver's becoming nicer, and also hitting on Blaze (She's adopted so it's okay, right?) and they just started school (Like me?) And more drama yadeyadayada ooh so Solaris's power is actually Chaos Energy! Yeah, I hope this chapter answers some of your questions, aand if you have any, drop a review or a PM! And I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Seeya in the next one!_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hey all readers, I'm really really sorry I haven't been updating in such a long time, I mean, I feel like I just lied to all of you because of my promise to update once a month, but I'm only doing this installment like 7 months later...I'm so sorry guys! :"( Anyways, same as usual, hope you enjoy the story, and see you down below! Cheers!_

* * *

~Chapter 12~

"Oof!" Mirius grunted as her was swept off his feet, with Maria laughing behind him. "You've gotten better, I must say," she remarked, casually halting Mirius' hand a mere centimetre from her face. Rolling, he leapt to his feet, settling himself back into the stance she taught him, relaxed and fluid. She smiled at him, before suddenly taking quick steps forward, strikes smoothly flowing after each other, met with counters and traps, all of which she slipped, measured blocks and jabs to dissipate the force and effectiveness of the moves. Opening his defences, she tapped his chest with her fingers, before blocking his arms aside and tapping his side. "Here, and here," she said, calm as ever while she flowed through his moves, her arms diverting and stealing energy to tap on him with her fingers, indicating holes in his defences.

"Not bad, not bad at all! I think now, we can progress to _oh for the love of Solaris will someone answer the accursed bell?_ " she cried out as the insufferable bell rang again for the third time. "For Solaris' sake!"

"I'll go, I suppose, although it's N.I.C.O.L.E's job," Mirius said, trotting up the stairs before opening the door, heading for the gate. "Oh, hi Silver," he said, seeing Silver coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water. "You can go downstairs and see Maria if you want," he said, forestalling his question about her state of life or death. Silver's eyes widened, and he spun around, looking for Shadow. Mirius ignored him, headed to the gate.

When he reached it, he saw the characteristic swirl of nanites that preceded N.I.C.O.L.E with a floating watering can, and he smugly grinned at her, before pulling the gate open. "Yes, who is this—oh."

He came face to face with none other than Percival, and he quickly ushered him in, closing the gate.

While standing in the crimson blaze of the dusky sky, waiting for someone to answer the door, Percival had been thinking. Especially about what had happened yesterday. His mind drifted back, going all the way back to the note asking him for dinner.

* * *

He had found the note pinned to his desk, the highmage requesting him to attend a simple dinner with her. So, he had gone, at the twentieth minute of the eight hour, because the darned clocks in that place couldn't show time in a form that wasn't considered archaic, just because it was a place of _preservation_. It was to be a private affair, so he had gone alone, summoning light to illuminate the passages he took, the unused stairways that he hurried through.

Finally, climbing the secret stairway that led directly to the highmage's office, he entered, dusting off cobwebs and the odd spider from his long white quills. She hadn't been surprised; that particular passage had been infested with spiders, until she threw lightning bolts down the stairs, incinerating most of the pests. But still, a few tenacious dwellers stayed there, and she hadn't the time to clean it up, so she mostly sprayed a couple of squirts of some spider repellent that the alchemy department had created. It didn't seem to work, and it repelled humans more than spiders.

"Close the door, will you? I don't know where the Solaris-be-damned draft comes in from, but it's rather annoying," she said, rising from her desk, where her new research on Chaos Energy was currently in development. Turning, she walked into her reception room, where the small table had been—finally—cleared, and a small feast awaited them, candles ornamenting the table. She strode to the door first, pressing a hand to the ancient oak, and closed her eyes, murmuring under her breath.

A silver wash of light spread over the door, wavering over the whole doorframe and settled into a smooth, flowing glow, before fading from sight entirely. "You did come alone, did you?" she asked Percival, still not turning around. He sighed. "Yes, of course. I know the importance of this meeting, as you too do."

They ate by candlelight, silent as one contemplated the subject they would discuss, while other, the safety and wellbeing of said subject. Eventually, they finished, and reclined in their seats, glasses of juice—the highmage insisted on that; no alcohol please—in their hands, and the highmage began to speak.

"Have you told Mirius yet?"

"Told him about what?"

"Told him about his heritage; its past and its responsibilities."

Percival sighed. "No, not yet, sister."

The highmage snorted. "And you would still have him wandering around the outside world, without much serious training, to prepare him for what comes? How do you think he will survive, if any should wish him harm? We have already observed the effect that the apparent power of Solaris can have on us, and so do you honestly think that _he_ can survive should the enemies we face earnestly want him dead? He was your mistake, but you're still responsible for him!"

"He _isn't_ a mistake!"

The highmage sighed. "Then why haven't you taken him in yet, and made him yours? He has lived all this while without your protection and guidance. It is indeed fortunate that he has got a partner like Shadow. But we _both_ know that strength of arms will matter very little, if one with sorcery should want him dead."

The highmage drew breath to speak, and Percival cut in. "I gave him one of the Histories."

The highmge was paused in mid-breath, stunned speechless. "What?! Why?! Why in the name of all things holy and sacred would you give him one of the Histories for?!" The Histories were the compilation of magic and its uses and past. There was only one copy of each book, and now, he was telling her that _he had given it to some teenager outside the walls of the Tower_.

"Its power will protect him!"

The highmage calmed down, forcing herself to take deep breaths at the infuriatingly logical argument. "Yes, and if it is stolen? Or if he loses it? What will we do then?"

"It can't get stolen! Besides, you know we can track it, the magical signature it gives off is far too distinct."

"Besides that, how did it _protect_ him when he was being violated in prison?"

Percival shut up. In the gloom of the room, his eyes seemed to reflect light as they glittered with moisture, glimmering with an inner darkness. Finally, he spoke.

"Sister, you know I would never do anything to endanger him. This was simply unforeseen, and couldn't be accounted for. Do you know that if I could, I would have never let _her_ take care of him, and would have instead taken him under the care of the White."

"Then go, and teach him. Teach him to protect himself, to protect those he loves. He has a good heart, but you must give him the power to do so."

"Why do you care so much about him anyways?"

"Because…because he is related to me too. He's my nephew, for crying out loud."

She sighed. The day was wearing on her, and she could feel the weight of the burdens she bore. She knew she was powerful, but how powerful was she compared to The Shadow? And for how much longer? She was already old, worn down by the responsibilities of her duties, and now she would likely have to prepare for war. How much could they do, really, in the face of such adversary? The church, The Shadow, and the state. And there was the darned staff, the ancient relic of sorcery long past, the staff of her, Percival's, and now Mirius' ancestor, the founder of the White. It had shown her visions that her time was near gone, that she would hand down the responsibilities to a successor. She didn't want to die, the way that all her predecessors had gone about handing down the staff, but she realised that she had no choice. The soft constant whistle of breath told her that Percival had dozed off in his seat, and she rose, heading for the scrying room.

"Good evening, milady, what brings you here?" the White on charge for identifying strange uses of magic asked, smiling at the pleasant surprise. The highmage smiled back at him, nodding in acknowledgement of his greeting. "I wish to use the chamber for a while. Privately, if possible."

"Certainly. If you need anything, just call, and I'll be there." With that, he swept off, headed on some business. She peeked out from the door, ensuring he was gone, before sweeping her hands over the still waters, shivering in the chill of the room. Ripples of water disrupted the surface, as she focused her power on the carved marble pool, silver light building around her. Chanting softly under her breath, small clouds of fog frosting in the air from her breath, she slowly focused her thoughts, aligning them with the pool. The water rippled gently, taking on colour and shapes. Dimly, she saw Mirius fast asleep in Shadow's arms, and a small smile broke out on her face. _Lucky boy,_ she thought, shifting her thoughts.

Staring into the water, she summoned her power for one of the most demanding skills magic offered: the art of prescience. Staring into the water, she took a deep breath, before exhaling it all out, letting the magic she gathered up flow into the pool, twining it like thread, before it wove itself into the fabric of the spell.

Slowly, then faster, she let the magic pour out of her, spilling like water from her hands in thick silver sheets of light. Deep in the waters, she saw shifting images, and she murmured protective spells; the gift of prescience wasn't without dangers. It was a peek into the future through a different dimension, and that dimension had dwellers that were not necessary friendly. It was the dimension of demons and wild magic, uncontrolled and whimsical beings of powers unchecked, and some of their abilities were just _absolutely unheard of_. Strangely enough, Mirius had managed to befriend one of them, a fire demon, a feat she hadn't thought was possible.

Peering into the pool, she sought for irrevocable markers, certainties in the fluid nature of the future. She saw Mirius holding a white staff, glimmering with silver magic, and she saw him kneeling over an indistinct body. She saw bloodshed, fires, collapsing buildings, all around her as gunshots rang all around her, lightning and thunder ringing all around her, and she saw Mirius hurling fire into crowds with…were those improvised clubs made of wood and nails? All of these visions spiralled back into an image: Mirius and Shadow embracing while Sonic and Tails were in an…intimate act.

Suddenly, the pool sputtered, splashing hot steam out as a shadowy figure materialised in the centre, a hand grabbing the side of the pool to pull itself up. She gasped, before her instincts reasserted themselves. "Back!" she cried, thrusting her staff into the apparition, watching the blaze of silver light sear the figure. Thrusting out her hand, a blaze of silvery light streaked from her fingers, hammering into the figure, pushing it back into the other dimension, sizzling against its skin. Raising her staff, she brought it down onto the creature. "Away, demon!" A sharp snap of magic cracked through the whole chamber as it was shoved back into the other dimension, before a flood of silver light sealed the opening between dimensions.

Shaking, she collapsed into the strangely comforting marble bench. She had barely managed to seal it away, because it was so much _weaker_ in this dimension than in its own home plane. Another stark reminder of how much she was declining, and the grim reality that Mirius would be the one to preside over the last days of the White. Taking a deep breath, she rose, striding out as confidently as she could appear. She could not afford to seem weak, not with the fate of the land that she and all the White before her had protected for the past six thousand, three hundred and seventy-two years.

The door to her chambers banged open, and Percival slowly opened his eyes, to see his sister throw the door open, striding through the doorway, before the door slid closed by itself, the lock turning. "We must hasten our plans. I have consulted the future, and it does indeed seem that bad times are ahead. So, in my capacity as highmage, I tell, no, I _order_ you to go to Mirius' residence, and tell them I am coming to teach him. _Personally._ " Percival winced. If she was teaching fighting magic, he wanted to stay as far as possible from her. She had gained an infamous reputation in the past for devising many uses of magic for fighting, and he had experienced most of them in his sparring with her. The training grounds had never been the same again, after she had fought him in her Test, which determined the capability of a person as a White. "Sister, surely you wouldn't want to leave the Tower…"

He halted as he saw the murderous look in her eyes. "Tell me, did I become highmage to stay cooped up in my ivory tower every day? Did I learn the greatest arts of White Sorcery to hide it with me, never to use it?" Percival wilted under her chilling stare, folding his hands into his lap. "No, you did not. Very well then. I shall tell them tomorrow."

* * *

Silver trotted down the stairs, only to bump into a sweaty and red-faced Maria. "What's taking Mirius so long?" she demanded, leaving the ivory hedgehog speechless with the harshness of her voice, her breath coming in quick gasps. "Er…er…er I don't know," he said, quickly disappearing to hide from her perceived wrath. _That was strange, Shadow said she was nice,_ he thought, bumping into the ebony hedgehog as he thought about that. "Everything, alright?" Shadow asked the paler-than-white Silver. "Err not really?" he muttered, picking at his gloves.

* * *

Blaze had given up on ringing her own doorbell, and jammed her key into the lock, wrenching it carelessly, before helping the door on its way with a hefty boot. "Solaris-dammit, where the hell are you, Silver?!" she yelled at the empty house, flicking the light switch. Solaris, was she annoyed. She had barely made it out of orientation, and already she felt like setting someone on fire. Oh, and how wonderful; she still had a shift at the hospital tonight. This programme she was on was wearing her down; she already plotted her timetable, and would get barely three hours of sleep tonight. But it was completely necessary to get into a career of doctoring, and although the head nurse had made her an unofficially official nurse, she still barely had the qualifications. And this course was _extremely_ competitive. She held an edge with this attachment to the hospital, but she also had to get the grades, and her grades would probably be in the gutter if she didn't study. She suppressed a yawn, dumping her bag on the floor, before leaving for the hospital. Silver could clean the house, she supposed, her mind straying to her technically adoptive brother/ mini-crush? She already knew it was going to be weird, having talked to her ( _I'm just going to use the term 'brother' because it would take too long to write all that out_ ^_^) brother's previous admirer, which he spoiled with his usual naivety, which was adorable yet also so annoying. Sighing, she looked at the lights of Central City, glowing as the cab sped to the hospital.

* * *

Sonic was in a bit of a spot. Specifically, he had just opened the fridge, and the eggs had fallen out and splattered on his feet, leaving a stinking mess on the kitchen floor. He had wanted to make dinner, before Tails had to go home, but he _still_ didn't know how to cook and now, he apparently couldn't open the damned fridge either. Sighing, he closed the door, before taking a big jump into the kitchen bathroom, rinsing off his feet, hoping that Tails wouldn't enter the kitchen.

"Eww! What's that smell?" Tails cried out, wandering into the kitchen in search of Sonic. He knew that something was amiss, having maintained the cleanliness of the home for so long, until his father had found an excuse to demand him to go home. He heard nervous giggling from the bathroom, and found Sonic rinsing his feet, the egg residues leaving gooey trails on the floor. "Tails? Sorry about that, I promise I'll clean it up," he said, swishing his feet in the water to remove the egg trails. "But, do you want to go out for dinner?" Tails smiled. "Is this your idea of a date? Because…I'd love to! But can we have a little fun first? I haven't had any time to relax this whole week."

Sonic grinned at him. "Oh, we'll have _soo_ much fun, so, in your bedroom, now."

* * *

Percival sat down on the couch with a grateful sigh. His legs were sore from walking all the way from Bygone Island to Shadow's house, as it was the closest stable portal that the White had to this place. Nevertheless, he was all business in three minutes, delivering his message.

"The highmage will be coming to personally train you, and will probably stay in your home, so please, treat her nicely. She's getting kind of old," he said, Shadow frowning at that. He sensed that Percival wasn't telling them the complete truth, but he accepted it. It was obvious the strange guy cared for Mirius, and wouldn't do anything to purposely harm him. Still, he could, by neglect, cause harm to come to Mirius, and Shadow wouldn't accept that.

"Have you been reading the book I gave you?" Percival asked, and Mirius embarrassedly shook his head, no he hadn't. "Well, make reading that book a priority, alright? Practice what the book tells you to, and experiment if you want. But now, I also came to give you a lesson. Is there a metalworking furnace here?"

Shadow was puzzled. Why would Percival need a metalworking furnace? There was one in the laboratory upstairs, but he wasn't about to just let him use it without answers.

"Why?" the question burst out of Shadow's lips, and Percival turned to him, smiling a little. "Why, for the lesson, of course." Shadow rolled his eyes, before tracking his way up the stairs, his feet squeaking on the polished wooden steps, Mirius and Percival following. Silver glanced up, before sneaking up behind them. He was indeed very much interested in this magical business, seeing how he had some abilities, so to speak.

"Well, today, I suppose I will be teaching you how to make magical artifacts," Percival said, producing a bar of copper from within his robes. "Now, I believe you have some familiarity with this subject, having read it in the Histories within the chapter Metallurgy, so you should be able to tell me the metals that can conduct magic, hmm?" Percival said, looking intently at Mirius, who looked up, before reciting word-for-word, the exact definitions listed.

"Platinum group metals and gold conduct the best, especially with iridium having no loss of magical power. Silver, copper, and iron conduct in decreasing magnitude, and iron tends to lose its magical properties after a while," he said, eyes focusing back on Percival.

"Good, good!" Percival congratulated, while Silver and Shadow half-heartedly clapped, watching the lesson. "Now, here I have arguably the cheapest viable conductor of magic, and we shall now proceed with the _actual_ lesson: learning how to apply this to uses."

"First, we will have to shape it into a useable shape, tool, anything. Anything in particular that you'd like to make?" Percival asked, watching Mirius toy with the bar of copper. "I suppose I could do with a simple wristband thingy?"

"You mean a bracelet?" Percival asked, brows furrowed slightly.

"I think that's what it's called, yes," Mirius replied, placing the bar of pink metal on the table top.

Percival bent over the furnace, fiddling with the knobs, murmuring curse words under his breath. "How does this work?" he muttered, before Shadow kindly stepped in, and flipped the switches for him. "Oh, right, right…" he mumbled, turning the heat up and stepping back from the oven.

"Seeing as we don't have a mold, we will have to cold-work the metal," Percival said, tapping another bar of copper on the table. "However, it should be rather easy, especially with magic. Watch carefully," he said, letting go of the bar of copper and levitating it before his eyes. The bar started to bend, slowly, but surely, shaping into a circle. Percival's eyes stared intently at the band of metal, silver flickers of light glimmering within the depths of his eyes, as he magically worked the metal.

When he had completed the bracelet, he floated it into the furnace, before closing the door, and set the timer for ten minutes, turning to face Mirius. "Well, that was the easy part done, and the difficult part is next. Why don't you try it out, while my one heats up?"

Mirius stared at the band of metal, trying to bend the metal into a perfect circle, as Percival's had been. He seemed to keep getting kinks in the metal bar, such that it never turned a perfect circle. "Go slow, it's hard at first, but you'll get it," Percival gently encouraged, watching the metal band slowly form. The slim piece of copper finally touched ends, and Percival smiled, levitating it into the furnace as well.

"It will get hot enough to fuse the two ends together by applying pressure, but not hot enough to melt the copper. However, we will wait for it to cool before working it." He stared intently into the furnace, while Mirius flipped through some pages in the History, going over the metalworking chapter. It seemed more blacksmithing than magic, although from some of the arcane symbols engraved into the metal in the diagram, he couldn't really be sure.

The sharp _ding!_ of the timer pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Percival float out the two bands of copper, a shimmering heat haze around them. "Alright, so you will want to wait for them to cool slowly first, but as we are operating on a rather tight schedule, I suppose we can quench them in water. It'll make the metal harder to work, but with the magical tools we have, it should be simple."

The lesson continued for another half an hour, Percival teaching him how to layer the magical wards into the metal into a powerful force, each individual symbol linking to others, forming a barrier against harm to the person wearing it.

"This is a general protection spell that we are placing on this bracelet. Also, please don't use blood to imbue items with power unless they are really important; we usually just use magic-infused crystals to hold the magic. Your blood is as magical as you are, so please, don't go around wasting it on everything you see. Imagine the consequences if some person got hold of a sample of your blood on a magical item? DNA traces will certainly pick up your signature, and you'll probably get carted off to a holding cell." Percival warned grimly, eyes hard with certainty.

Soon enough, Mirius had finished the bracelet, and his hands hurt, as did his eyes, his back and his ass. He had sat stock-still for the past one and a half hours, unmoving as he shaped the bracelet. And oh Solaris, did he find new places to hurt in. His fingers were criss-crossed with scars from the multiple times his scalpel had slipped, and he could barely stand without falling over. His finished, polished band of metal lay on the table, and Percival picked it up, inspecting it.

"Well done," he said at long last, amazed by the quality that that was displayed in his first attempt. "I believe that we can even perform a transmutation on this thing," he said, drawing looks from all three hedgehogs. "You can what?" Shadow asked, eyes wide with disbelief. Percival just grinned. "It's useful, I'll admit, but really draining on the power. But I'll give it a shot."

Holding the band of pink metal in his hands, he closed his eyes, a faint silver tinge gathering around him, slowly building in intensity. Flickers and stabs of silver lights flared around him, before a blazing column of silver light spilled forth from his hands, exploding out before turning back onto itself, pouring into the pink metal, the fierce glow causing the three hedgehogs to shut their eyes.

And abruptly, the light plunged out of existence, leaving faint gleams of silver light around Percival, before fading completely. In his hands was a silver-blue band of much, _much_ heavier metal, the wards glowing faintly as the precious, magical metal soaked up the ambient magic radiating from Percival's hands.

"Iridium," Mirius whispered to himself, reaching out to touch the warm metal, glowing with an inner light.

"Yeah, yeah, iridium is great and all, but I need to sit down, so kindly take the damned thing, thanks," Percival snapped, swaying from the effort. Mirius caught him by the arm, and Percival silently marveled at the strength he possessed; it wasn't possible with such a physique. He let himself be slowly lowered down onto the chair, before closing his eyes, strengthening himself by sheer willpower alone. "I suppose I should return to the Tower now, and if I'm not wrong, Gerald should be home in half an hour," Percival muttered. Drawing on the last reserves of his strength, he pushed himself out of his seat, before shuffling to the door, Shadow following him.

When the two of them reached the driveway, Percival turned around, eyes scanning the surroundings. Satisfied, he turned to Shadow, leaning in close, voice a sharp whisper.

"Do not repeat what I am about to tell you to anyone, ever. And especially not to Mirius. Do you understand?" he whispered to Shadow, his voice harsh and soft.

"Yes, I do."

"Take care of Mirius well. He hasn't had a proper person to care for him for a very long time, and if you break his heart, I will _personally_ find you, and _kill_ you. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I do but…why all this secrecy?"

"It's because…I'm his father."

Shadow was stunned speechless. That explained all the similarities between the two hedgehogs, although, it didn't really account for everything. "How…when did you have him? And why didn't you take care of him?" The unspoken question _"Why are you such a horrible father?"_ hovered between them, and Percival took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully.

"Well, when I was younger, I made some…stupid mistakes, in a motel in Central City. I had been…seeing this girl, and we had both ended our high school days. So, after our final exams, we had just become legal, and we decided to go for a drink, to try out. So, we went to a pub in Central City, got so smashed, and then, next thing I knew, I woke up in bed with her, in some motel. She called me two days later, saying she was pregnant, and I originally had been delighted."

"Then what happened?" Shadow asked, eyes glimmering with curiosity.

"Then, I had to take my Test, and I was called back to the Tower. I couldn't really visit her, and she thought I was purposely ignoring her, and our relationship soured. She only consented to carrying Mirius to full term because I convinced her that an abortion was murder. After that, she never wanted anything to do with me anymore, and found a new man in university. She hadn't wanted to give Mirius to me either, choosing instead to leave him at the steps of Mobius High School, where he attended primary school and everything."

"Why didn't you take care of him?"

"Oh, she filed a restraining order against me in Mirius' name, and then made him stick his thumb on the paper."

"Who _is_ she?"

Percival looked around nervously, eyes darting around. Shadow's ears pricked up, catching the sound of an engine headed to the home, recognizing the distinct sound of Gerald's hydrogen powered engine.

"Meet me at the back, after Gerald comes home. It seems pretty important and secret."

Percival nodded, before darting around the thick foliage, disappearing into the backyard. Shadow sighed, and turned to go back into the house, looking for Mirius. Hopefully, Gerald wouldn't be onto them skipping classes, but then again, he wasn't a doctor for nothing.

* * *

Sonic opened his eyes, groaning slightly. He was so _tired,_ his seed splattered across his body and the sheets, mixed with Tails' own essence. He sat up, head pounding, breathing in the musty smell of cum, and looked at Tails, curled up on the bed, with a severe case of bed head. Glancing across the room, he saw the clock, hour hand at four, and he looked over at Tails, rubbing his face to wake him up.

"Nnghh…Go away, mom…five more minutes…" Sonic smiled at that, before leaning in to kiss Tails on the lips, hands roaming down Tails' body, converging on his member. "Miles, wake up, or I'm gonna start pulling," Sonic whispered into Tails' ears, gently rubbing on the soft member. Tails' eyes snapped open at the feeling of hands on his crotch, and he kicked at Sonic, legs futilely trying to push Sonic away. "Hey, quit it!" he laughed, as Sonic rubbed the head with his fingertips. "Horny hedgehog!"

A small grin appeared on his face. "Well then, since you said so…" he murmured as he sped up his _ministrations_ , fingers dancing over the slicked organ, translucent fluids leaking from the tip. "Oh Solaris…noooo," Tails moaned, breath dropping to a husky whisper as his primal nature took over, bucking his hips into Sonic's hands.

Already so drained from his previous _session_ , Tails quickly blew his load into Sonic's face, a thin dribbly liquid, before collapsing back into bed, exhausted. "C'mon, time to go for dinner, then we can go and do work," Sonic chirped, while Tails lay in bed, summoning up the strength to roll off. Sonic shook his head, and rose, lifting Tails up before striding over into the shower, and dousing Tails with cold water. "Hey, quit it!"

Finally washing the smell and stains of jizz off his fur, Sonic dried himself, Tails following suit, before they threw on some clothes. "Technically, this is a date, but really, I don't care, because these are kinda meaningless to me, with you beside me," Sonic smiled at Tails, who returned the smile. "All that matters to me, is you. But, still, I can make this as _memorable_ as possible," the blue speedster said, before waving down a cab. "Let's go to…hmmm…Central City!"

* * *

Gerald Robotnik was _furious._ He hadn't pegged Mirius to be a person to skip school, and suddenly, with Shadow, the _entire_ gang disappears to Solaris-knows-where. He held his cool until he opened the front door, before bursting into a furious tirade.

"WHERE, IN THE NAME OF SOLARIS, HAVE YOU BEEN, SHADOW ROBOTNIK HEDGEHOG?!" his voice thundered through the house, Silver and Mirius cringing at the force of it. Shadow barely flinched, taking a step forward to Gerald.

"I thought it was sufficiently important for me to leave school immediately due to an emergency, and we had to–"

"Don't bullshit me, Shadow. What _emergency_ could cause you to _urgently_ leave school?"

Shadow sighed. "This kind of emergency," he said, before taking the Holy Bible that decorated the fireplace, and threw it at Mirius.

There was a blinding flash of light, and the book fell to the ground, the embroidered symbols curling as they turned into ash, the faint stench of smoke in the air.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Tails figured it out. _Outside_ of school," Shadow dryly replied, before taking Mirius' hand, leading him to the dinner table, Silver following them. "Do you understand now, Grandfather?"

They ate in silence, Silver not daring to meet anyone's eyes as he stared into his plate, pushing the food around as he tried to guess what was going on in their heads. A touch of telepathic power allowed him to slip inside Maria's mind, where he saw confusion, shock and apprehension flickering around her mind. Mirius finished quickly, and excused himself from the table, running up the stairs, and disappearing somewhere in the house. Shadow sighed, and followed him, handing his emptied plate to N.I.C.O.L.E.

"Silver, why did you come here today?" Gerald asked, his voice reflecting intonations of curiosity, as he studied the young white hedgehog. Silver picked at his gloves, before answering.

"Well, I kinda came here to apologize to Mirius, cos I was kind of a dick…"

"Kind of a dick? What does that mean?"

"It's a long story, maybe he can tell you some other time? I kinda should get going…"

"Relax, Silver, tomorrow is Friday, late day, so it's okay."

Silver gulped, eyes darting to the floor. "Okay, so it started when…"

Shadow caught sight of Mirius, but he ignored his boyfriend for the time being, heading for his boyfriend's _dad_ instead. Percival sat patiently on the veranda at the back, turning at the presence of Shadow.

"So who _is_ this she?"

Percival leant in, eyes flickering around the place.

"His mother is…Rosemary Prower!"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "That wasn't quite the dramatic reveal I was hoping for, but I'll take what I can get. But… are you certain? Tails' mother? Why?"

Percival huffed in annoyance. "My love life isn't your issue! Your issue now, is to protect Mirius, and make sure he never finds out, until I think it's alright for you to tell him. Oh, and by the way, as a heads-up, the highmage will be staying with you for about a year or so, until other, suitable arrangements can be made. She's his aunt, just so you know." With that, he disappeared into the lengthening shadows, stalking into the twilight gloom.

Shadow slowly walked up the stairs, to the swimming pool at the back. Gerald had planned for the pool to be off dirt or soil, and to keep the bugs away, a simple force field sufficed. It was thus on the second floor, a rather novel idea which the neighbors eventually picked up, having enough of inflatable rubber pools that burst or leaked.

He reached the top of the stone steps, and could see Mirius holding onto the parapet of the carved border the surrounded the pool, staring into the distant setting sun. It was dim, yet Mirius made no effort to light the place up, and interestingly, he did not seem to have noticed Shadow. Sighing quietly, he padded over to Mirius, before wrapping his arms around his waist, and burying his face into the soft fur on his back, parting the slightly puffy quills that fell from his head. Mirius started, before calming, and raised an eyebrow at the sudden intrusion.

"Anything you care to tell me?" Shadow whispered into his back, and Mirius smiled faintly.

"Today's Thursday. And it's been two weeks since… that day." He trailed off, still smiling faintly at the memory of 'that day', whatever it was.

Raising an eyebrow, he regarded Mirius, wondering what could stir such conflicting feelings in him. Eidetic memory or not, he still had to figure out what made him so—ah.

Pulling Mirius around, he looked deep into Mirius' eyes. "It's the day we confessed our feelings for each other, right?"

"Smart boy. Then again, I doubt I would've chosen a dummy to be with forever," Mirius murmured, before his eyes grew downcast again. "And, of course, with all these new revelations that seem to happen around me, I just realized I got church to attend on Saturday."

Shadow winced. "Small problem, huh?"

"More than you know. I really need some time alone to study my new abilities, and what limits I possess, but with school…" He trailed off, sighing quietly.

"Oh, the highmage is coming to teach you personally, for the next year or so," Shadow said, eyes tracing Mirius' gaze, wishing he could peer into that mind and sort out his problems for him. Mirius grimaced at that. "Ah, more work for me, then."

Feeling suddenly weary, he sat down at the edge of the pool, drawing his shorts up so they wouldn't get wet. Shadow sat beside him, still gazing at him, and he couldn't help but feel a little envious. Shadow had the benefit of trainers in G.U.N, while he was stuck here, puzzling out his life. He sighed as he remembered his stuff all still in his house. He hadn't had the time, nor the heart to start bringing his stuff over to Shadow's home, but he supposed he had to, one day. And these blasted boxers that he wore because there wasn't anything else that Shadow could lend him… Solaris, he _was_ cranky.

"Maybe a swim would help you clear your mind?" Shadow offered, and Mirius couldn't help but laugh at that suggestion.

"Shadow, maybe you forgot, but I don't swim. I drown. Spectacularly."

"It's about a meter deep. Come on, it'll be fun. And it'll take your mind off matters."

Mirius' lips twisted into a smile. "It'll be fun…because you can see through my clothes? Alright, alright, I'll do it. But only because you said so."

Shadow grinned at him, and turned on the heater, before slipping off his shirt and pants, tossing them onto a nearby table. Mirius followed suit, and gingerly touched his toe into the now warm water, while Shadow slipped into the water effortlessly, cutting across the pool with a liquid grace, that made Mirius stare in envy.

Taking a deep breath, he envisioned a barrier of magic that extended before him, and slowly walked down the steps of the pool. The water retreated before him, pooling at the back, and he eventually reached the floor of the pool, the water held back by magic. Shadow swum up to his magical barrier, and Mirius got a good look at the bulge between his legs, before chastely looking away, but having his eyes inexorably drawn back.

"Oh, stop with the magic, and just have fun. I'll save you if you drown. Somehow."

Mirius gritted his teeth, before dismissing the barrier. At once, the water rushed back in, to surround him and making him feel almost weightless. He almost shrieked in fright, before he felt Shadow's arms on his back.

"Relax, you can still stand on the floor. Now, just take deep breaths…that's good."

"How come…you aren't this nice to the rest of our friends?"

"Because you're special."

Mirius let himself be gently guided to the bubbling font in the center of the pool, where hot water cascaded down on their heads, making his white quills clump together, and he felt Shadow's hands go to work, rubbing out the aches of the day, while murmuring sweet nothings into his ears.

All this was interrupted by an "oh, damn" as Shadow espied someone at the entrance. Mirius' eyes opened, and Shadow swum around, brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Damnit, was hoping for some privacy," he growled, and Mirius followed him, bouncing along the pool floor, like an oversized jellyfish bobbing along the ocean's waves.

"Oh, it's Silver," Shadow muttered, and Mirius eyes widened in surprise. Had they been seen? Hopefully not too much had been seen, although he was sure Silver wouldn't tell anyone if told not to. He just wasn't sure how he was going to face Silver ever again.

"I didn't know you had a pool! This is so cool!" Silver squealed, and Shadow had to roll his eyes.

"Really?"

"Can I join?"

Shadow glanced to Mirius, who nodded somewhat reluctantly, and replied, "Alright."

"But I don't have clothes or anything though," Silver realized, but Shadow just waved his arm at him. "I have spares."

Slipping off his clothes, he took three steps back, before jumping into the pool, splashing everyone in the pool.

"Oh my goodness," Mirius muttered, the shock of water almost entering his lungs causing him to cough and sputter, before sitting up on the underwater ledge that ringed the font. Silver splashed over to them, before Mirius slapped his hand over the font, directing the water blast right into Silver's face.

"Arggh!" Silver shrieked, the water blasting into his nose and mouth, and he fell back under the water, where he bobbed back up, gasping for air. "That was mean," he said, before Mirius put his hand over the font again, causing him to dive underwater, and swim away.

Shadow chuckled quietly, before slipping under the waters, stealthily chasing Silver, who was himself trying to sneak up on Mirius. The water barely bothered his eyes, as he was the Ultimate Lifeform, but he could see Silver floating to the surface to blink rapidly, before sinking back down. _That could be a helpful advantage_ , he thought, while following Silver, who was trying to get around the font as quickly as he could, while going unnoticed.

Mirius sat near the deep end, which allowed his long legs to dangle into the water, and he closed his eyes, letting the waves buffet him, running along his body, pushing him off the… _pushing him off the ledge?_ His eyes snapped open, to feel telekinetic-powered waves of water lift him off the ledge and into the 2 meter mark area.

"Oh no no no NO NO NO!" he shrieked, clinging onto the ledge, but the waves were relentless. He spied Silver's grinning face behind the font, and he cursed silently, scrabbling for a good grip on the smooth stone-tiled ledge. He suddenly saw Silver's expression change to shock, and felt the waves weaken, as a scream was heard. He had no time to figure out what happened, as he floundered in the deep water, and the waters covered his head.

Silver was splashing around, one hand over his crotch. Shadow had snuck up from behind and pulled his undies down, and the turquoise article of clothing was bobbing over to the deep end, where it started sinking.

"Oh Solaris, no!" he cried, before seeing Shadow push off the wall, darting past him, headed for Mirius. "Right…Mirius can't swim…oops."

Mirius had managed to gulp in a breath of air before he sank, but as he ran out of oxygen, things started to become less and less lucid, until the point that he was starting to barely care. He had hit the bottom, and tried to bounce up, but had not succeeded in reaching the surface.

He watched as a turquoise article of cloth bobbed down to where he was, and lazily identified it as a pair of briefs, only to see a dark shape hurtling towards him. It was strangely familiar, although the mind-numbing effect of the deep water, and the lack of oxygen made it seem just out of his mind…before everything went black.

* * *

"One chicken bolognaise and a chili baked cheese rice with sausages, please," Sonic ordered, drawing an eye-roll from Tails. "Hey, it isn't a chili dog, is it?"

Tails giggled. "No, but I suppose that you _could_ eat something else… also, we can go get drinks from that new café we saw earlier, right?" Sonic thought for a while, before nodding. "Yeah, should be okay… well, let's do dating stuff. What do you want to become in the future?"

Tails laughed. "You know what I want, Sonic. C'mon, a different question."

"Alright… what are you working on right now?"

"Hmm… a three layer capacitor, which stores enough power for my refractor-induction electron beam…you fell asleep, didn't you?"

"Hmm? No, absolutely not…well, maybe I did. Next question, unless you want to ask me one?"

"Sure…hmmm…would you give up all your money for me? Your speed? Your life?"

"Woooooow…deep questions, huh? Hmm…yes, maybe, yes."

" _Maybe?_ "

"Alright, yes…don't use the puppy eyes on me, Tails. Cheater."

"Second question…Do you have anyone that you kind of like, other than me?"

"Uh, what?"

"Serious."

"Err…well, I kind of had an attraction towards Shadow and Mirius…wonder if they'd like a foursome?"

"Don't be _gross_. How about Silver, or anyone else?"

"Err Silver yes, and about no one else."

" _Jeez._ "

"What? You can't expect me to jack off to nothing, right?"

" _Holy cow,_ too much information for these ears, alright? Although the thought of you doing that is quite…interesting."

Sonic grinned. "I can tell," he smiled, an aura of seduction hanging heavy about him. To which Tails simply rolled his eyes at.

"Oh, right, I forgot to ask, what time are you expected back at home? I don't want you to be beat up because of me, lil buddy."

"Ten thirty. Is it too early? I don't want him to find out that we're hanging out…or actually going out on a date! This is _way_ too surreal, like, I still can't believe you and I are going out! On a date!"

"Oh don't be silly, Tails, I'd go out anywhere with you. But, you wanna go make a better use out of our time now?"

Tails smiled back at him. "You bet! But dinner first though."

* * *

Shadow hauled Mirius out of the water, and Silver followed, still fully nude. Laying Mirius down, he put his ear to Mirius' mouth, fingers running down the side of Mirius' neck to find a pulse. Finding nothing, he put his hands together, and drove them deep into Mirius' abdomen, watching him vomit out water, and he repeated the process. Silver watched, while trying to inconspicuously put on his undies. Shadow grew increasingly worried, as the minutes passed, and yet Mirius showed noo sign of waking up.

"Wake up, Mirius, wake up!" he cried, pushing harder, and suddenly, in a retching spray of water, Mirius sat up, coughing and spluttering. "Are you alright?" Shadow asked concernedly, almost on the verge of tears, while Mirius threw up more water, before collapsing into Shadow's arms. "I'll be…fine… I think."

"Thank Solaris," Shadow cried, and Silver inched his way out of the pool, feeling all the awkward vibes. " _Thank Solaris,"_ he muttered, slipping out into the house compound, only to be greeted with a piercing scream as he walked half-nude into Maria.

* * *

 _Alright, so announcements on this story. Yes, it will be completed. Yes, I will still work on it. But I got promos, and I have to study, so I might next update in December or something. I'm really sorry, but I won't end this story, so consolation, I suppose? If you have any idea, criticisms or feedback, please, rate and review down below! It would mean the world to me, even if they are just guest reviews! So, thank you all for supporting this story, and happy pride month/feminist month/birthday/anniversary/day/night!_

 _(There was a reason why I made Maria so pro at fighting ;))_


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